EUROFILE

FACT OF THE DAY: As we prepare to enter the bulging Single Market and our financial overlords chase the fiscal deficit to meet criteria for adoption of the euro, consumers have got just three months to get clued up on the rights and obligations of buyers and sellers in the new marketplace.

The EU has adopted a number of basic rights for consumers in the internal market, which are passed on as minimum standards for member states to transpose into national legislation within a specific timeframe.

As the marketplace grows to 25 national markets serving almost 500 million consumers, the need for clear and comprehensible consumer protection laws across the board is self-evident.

Commissioner David Byrne launched a Consumer Affairs website
(europa.eu.int/comm/consumers) last year to mark World Consumer Day in an effort to increase consumer awareness. As spam emails and marketing pamphlets start to flood the country, it becomes increasingly important for Cypriots to know their basic consumer rights and supplier obligations within the Single Market. If internet access is difficult, consumers can call local consumer organisations, the local Chamber of Commerce EU Information Centre or the European Institute in Nicosia for general information.

Here’s a brief overview of some of the consumer rights directives protecting EU citizens:
Under the ‘Distance Selling’ directive, a seller should say who they are, how they can be contacted and make clear they are trying to sell something. The consumer is entitled to a ‘cooling-off’ period of at least seven working days to change his or her mind on an order. Once the seller is informed of the cancellation in writing or by email within that period, the seller has to refund the consumer’s money.

A consumer can report and appeal against unfair contract terms or misleading advertisements, Products bought in the EU should be safe; otherwise the consumer may be able to get compensation. Consumers have two years to point out faults that were there when they bought a product. If a fault appears in the first six months, the seller has to prove the product was in good condition when sold. Personal details can only be used if the consumer agrees, according to the Data Processing directive.

The European Consumer Centre offers advice on cross-border transactions while the European Extra-Judicial Network offers advice and access to out-of-court settlements.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.