Stamped, sealed, delivered: Can customs bring sustainability home?
During my yearly winter rewatch of Sex and the City, I never imagined customs and sustainability would inspire my very own Brussels-trade-bubble Carrie Bradshaw column. But here we are—customs, consumers, and sustainability. I couldn’t help but wonder…
Reviewing what I learnt in my new energy job after six months
BEUC’s Laurens Rutten shares his learning curve experience in a sector he was warned is “extremely complex”.
Online reviews: can we trust what we see?
Are the online reviews you are seeing really written by customers? In today’s digital marketplace, fake reviews are a growing problem, designed to mislead shoppers into buying subpar products. Petra Cakovska, from S.O.S Poprad, BEUC's Slovak member, tells you how...
Shopping on Temu: safe or sorry?
Temu is cheap and has shaken up e-commerce in Europe, but it has come at a cost for consumers who have no certainty that what they are buying is safe. Authorities need to intervene and make sure EU laws are...
Six things I’ve learned advocating for European consumers
After 17 years as the Director General of BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation – Monique Goyens bows out this year for a well-deserved retirement. She looks back at her career and shares a few thoughts about lobbying the EU...
‘Call me maybe’…How do you call your bank to cancel your credit card if you’re deaf?
When your bank unexpectedly blocks your credit card, it should be a relatively easy situation to resolve. But not when the bank requires you to call and you cannot use the phone because you are deaf. BEUC secretary to the...
EU must urgently tackle harm caused by weakened competition
The Commission and EU governments must urgently tackle the problem by more - not less - strictly enforcing EU competition rules, and in particular merger control, writes Vanessa Turner.
The Truth Behind “100% Recycled” Plastic Bottles: Exposing Greenwashing
In today's age of expanded environmental consciousness, phrases like "100% recycled" or "100% recyclable" plastered across plastic bottle packaging might seem like a beacon of sustainability. However, the truth is far from that and it’s time for authorities to crack...
What member states must get right for consumers in EU pharma reform
The European Union’s pharmaceutical legislation is undergoing its biggest reform in two decades. It is the moment for member states to pay particular attention to what consumers need, writes Ancel.la Santos.
Payment fraud has become an industry: here’s how to stop it
Payments fraud is becoming an industry and consumers are paying the price. It's time for a systemic solution, write Anna Martin and Mireia Llambrich Anto from BEUC's Financial Services team.