Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil has stepped up the pressure on the European Commission to act decisively on fraudulent business directories.

Following the tabling of a second resolution by Dr Busuttil, the European Parliament adopted a new resolution on Misleading Business Directories calling on the EU executive to take action on the issue.

Addressing MEPs during Parliament’s plenary session, Dr Busuttil said that the European Commission has so far stated that such misleading business practices are against EU law but it did not do enough to stop them.

Deceptive practices by misleading directory companies consist of sending out forms which request the recipient’s details in return for what appears to be a free listing in their directory. However upon signing the form executives are told that they entered into a contract binding them to pay approximately €1,000 per year, for three years.

“More than two years down the line we still have thousands of individuals and organisations falling victim to these deceptive practices. This is not only wrong because it is damaging the confidence in our internal market, but it is wrong because of the financial hardship and anxiety which it brings to victims,” Dr Busuttil said.

“Since the 2008 plenary report I have continued to apply pressure on the Commission, through several parliamentary questions and committee debates, to find a solution to the matter”, Dr Busuttil said.

“The Commission has now agreed to start looking into the matter by the end of the year. But I will continue to exert pressure until a true solution is reached.”

The text of the adopted resolution calls on the Commission “to speed up its activities with regard to revising and improving the Directive and other relevant legislation so as to put an end to the misleading practices of business directory companies as soon as pos­-sible”.

Several MEPs from different EU member states participated in the plenary debate denouncing the Commission’s inaction.