“IF CONSUMERS are not fully aware of their rights, they might as well be walking around blind.”
That was the verdict of the Commerce Ministry’s Competition and Consumer Protection Service, commenting on work done over the past 18 months on a consumer guide which plans to inform consumers about their rights.
The Consumers in Action (ConAct) project aims at the creation, establishment and enhancement of a Consumer Protection Network in the south eastern Mediterranean region for intervening in the application of European consumer policy.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Service, the Consumer General Secretariat of the Ministry of Development in Greece, the Hellenic Open University and the Mediterranean Research, Employment, Development Organisation in Italy compose the partnership that will implement the 18-month project, which began last July in the participating regions of Nicosia, Attiki and Sicily.
The regions are characterised by important tourist activities, with the project trying to help those facing problems during their stay.
The project aims at informing the public of consumer protection policy focusing on tourism and services-related activities, improving dialogue with EU citizens and promoting consultation in a common framework for successful governance in consumer protection policy. The involvement of existing consumers’ networks, NGOs and other interested parties will be encouraged, and their supporting activities will be sought.
The Network will be supported by an innovative pilot application, known as the Consumer Information System, which will be available to the public and supporting members of the network through the internet.
Andreas Photiou, who works at the Ministry’s Consumer Protection Service, told the Mail: “We are preparing a consumer guide, which is based on EU and national legislation and this will focus on many different issues such as travel and tourism, financial transactions, health and safety, food and shopping.”
He added that the department was working with NGOs to make information more readily available to the public, with advertising beginning next month.
“The consumer guide will be of vital importance as the public must be better informed of their rights and know how and where to deal with complaints that they may have.”
Photiou also said that consumers must be more demanding of their rights in both the private and public sectors.
Consumers’ Association President Petros Marcou said his organisation has expressed its interest in the results of the project.
“The consumer guide will inform on various aspects of consumer protection and we have asked the Commerce Ministry to help us disseminate the information,” he said.
Marcou added that the Association has also requested financial assistance so it can upgrade its website to accommodate the guide and for the purchase of electronic equipment in order for the information to reach the consumer.
“The guide will be a very useful tool in our hands so that we can get the right information across,” he said.
