Public transport failed to woo Maltese commuters but the banks earned brownie points for their good service, according to the latest EU Consumer Markets Scoreboard that put Malta in fifth place.

Contrary to other years, when Malta did not score well, this year’s scoreboard puts the island before the UK and only after Luxembourg, Germany, Estonia, and Finland.

An annual study, the scoreboard ranks the level of consumer satisfaction in the EU’s internal market.

According to the study, Malta performed at par or even better than the EU average in 11 out of the 21 goods markets investigated and in 14 out of 21 services markets.

Markets vary from daily items, such as clothing, footwear and food, to services such as mobile phones, vehicle maintenance and repair, insurance, postal services and lotteries.

The scoreboard ranks performance based on consumers’ trust in business, comparability of offers, overall satisfaction and the incidence of complaints and problems. Consumer choice, switching of tariffs/providers and price differences between countries are also monitored.

In the goods markets category, Malta performed best this year for non-alcoholic drinks, bread and cereals and dairy products.

However, the Maltese described the maintenance products and second-hand car markets as not “very consumer friendly”.

In the services sector, Malta performed best in the EU for bank accounts – reflecting the good service normally given by local banks. Public transport got the thumbs down.

According to the European Commission, the scoreboard is considered a valuable tool for national authorities, consumer organisations and business stakeholders who use it to identify underperforming markets, address problems and restore consumer confidence with better enforcement of consumer protection rules, public awareness activities and self-regulatory initiatives.

Stressing the fact that consumer expenditure accounts for 56 per cent of overall European GDP, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Tonio Borg called on national authorities and business stakeholders to keep tabs on underperforming markets and take action where needed.