Tài liệu Development of indicators on consumer satisfaction and Pilot survey

Development of indicators on consumer satisfaction and Pilot survey

1. Introduction
1.1 Background to this assignment
1.1.1 The EU consumer policy In its ‘Consumer Policy Strategy 2002-2006’1, the European Commission states that the de-velopment of a consumer policy at European Union (EU) level is the essential corollary of the progressive establishment of the internal market. Indeed, the free circulation of goods and services requires the adoption of common, or at least convergent, rules to ensure both suffi-cient protection of consumer interests, and the elimination of regulatory obstacles and com-petitive distortions. The EU consumer policy includes the following areas of concern: o A number of safety, economic and legal issues relevant to consumers in the internal market place, and consumer information and education. Products and services placed on the internal market should be safe. Consumers should receive adequate and rele-vant information in order to make appropriate choices. Consumers should also be pro-tected from abusive practices. o A coherent and common environment that will ensure that consumers are confident in shopping across borders throughout the EU. Consumers should have comparable op-portunities to benefit fully from the potential of the internal market in terms of greater choice, lower prices, and the access to and affordability of essential services. o Ensuring that internal market rules and practices promote consumer confidence in cross-border transactions. Barriers to cross-border trade should therefore be over-come.