Three-euro duty and a dream (of safe parcels)
A bargain should not come with a blind spot. From 1 July, the EU will end the old customs exemption for low-value parcels worth up to €150 and introduce a temporary three-euro customs duty per item on goods imported from...
Two years on it’s time for Big Tech to stop playing games under the Digital Markets Act
The EU adopted its Digital Markets Act (DMA) to give European consumers more choice and better access to innovative products and internet services. Since the DMA entered into force, Europe’s consumers have more choice of services, apps and hardware. Still,...
Are consumers denied cheaper products from other countries?
Have you ever wondered why certain products cost more in your country than in neighbouring countries? This may be the result of restrictions set by manufacturers on retailers. Justified? Sometimes not...
How much extra does it cost to shop ecolabelled? You might be surprised
Shopping sustainably doesn’t have to break the bank! Indeed, it can actually save consumers money, as BEUC’s Sustainable Consumption Officer, Miriam Thiemann, explains. With more EU Ecolabel products than ever on the market, now it’s up to retailers to play...
Why do consumers need a new car label?
Buying a car is one of the most significant investments consumers can make. BEUC’s intern Marion Chasseau wonders how a new car label could facilitate their journey towards the truly affordable and sustainable choice.
The faulty charger’s diaries: what the EU can do to reign in unsafe products
Unsafe products keep entering the European Union in high numbers, often through online marketplaces. To avoid consumers being harmed, EU policymakers should deliver a Customs Reform giving sufficient resources to authorities, a robust EU Product Act and clarify online marketplaces'...
Energy affordability affects us all: here’s what the EU can do
Energy prices are at the top of the political agenda once again. But policymakers must keep in mind that energy affordability affects us all: businesses of all sizes and households, writes BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna.
Will the Pan-European Pension Product help solve the pensions crisis?
Europe is facing a pensions crisis. The European Commission is gearing up to revamp the Pan-European Pension Product. But will this be enough to solve the crisis, asks BEUC Chief Economist Bryan Coughlan.
How the EU energy label can help consumers continue to save energy and money
The EU's energy label has been a real success story in guiding consumers towards energy savings. With some key tweaks it could continue to do so and deliver even more benefits, writes BEUC Ecodesign Project Coordinator, Silvia Barlassina.
Further consolidating telecoms in Europe would hurt consumers and reduce investment
With the EU considering to review their Merger Guidelines while planning to present a major overhaul of the telecoms rules in the upcoming Digital Networks Act, all too familiar calls to allow Europe’s telecoms companies to merge instead of competing...