The explosion of online shopping is presenting the Government with one of its stiffest challenges in terms of consumer safety, according to Consumer Affairs Minister Helena Dalli.
We need to take action if the product is not up to standard
More than 75 per cent of complaints received by the European Consumer Centre in Malta last year were related to online shopping, she added.
Addressing a workshop organised by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO), Dr Dalli said consumer protection was at the heart of the new government.
“We are committed to promote and raise awareness of consumer rights. We aim to empower consumers to take action.”
She added that the Government would like to reinforce working structures and set up key ones, address the challenges of new technology and invest in better market surveillance education.
“Consumer education must start at an early age. Education should also be extended to adults and vulnerable people, who comprise the illiterate as well.”
Consumers need to buy with responsibility and be aware of the advantages and risks to both their health and the environment that their purchases make.
“We need to take action if the product is not up to standard.”
ISO/COPOLCO chair Norma McCormick pointed out that the internet now stood for transparency, information and consumer feedback.
“However, it also raises questions about trustworthiness and legal protection of consumers.
“In the wake of the horsemeat scandal, consumers want to know the circumstances in which the product is produced,” she said.
The annual ISO/COPOLCO workshop, hosted this year by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, was titled Innovating Food Products: How Can Standards Ensure Consumer Protection?
Consumer product safety has greatly improved over the past 40 years thanks to increased consumer awareness and engagement, standardisation and better regulatory controls.
However, innovations such as internet-based purchasing, new technologies, global supply chains and the proliferation of claims and labels have added a new dimension to product safety concerns.
Authority chairman Francis Farrugia stressed the need for more education.
He added that the European Parliament recently voted to support the new legislation on Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Online Dispute Resolution. They will soon be adopted in Malta.
The rules will ensure consumers can turn to quality alternative dispute resolution entities for all kinds of contractual disputes they have with the trader – no matter what they purchased and whether they purchased it online or offline, domestically or across borders.