Consumer policy priorities from a Maltese perspective

The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, in collaboration with the European Commission, has organised a Consumer Dialogue to discuss with stakeholders the implementation of The New Consumer Agenda. The Dialogue was held at the EC Representation Office in Valletta.

The Malta Consumer Dialogue forms part of a series of Consumer Dialogues which the Commission is hosting in all EU Member States with a view to strengthening close collaboration and partnerships at both EU and national level, with the overall aim of bringing swifter and more enduring outcomes.

In his address, European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders  commended Malta’s high consumer confidence rate as measured through the latest Consumer Conditions Survey.

He highlighted that this was also testament of the Authority’s commitment to enforce consumer protection laws.

Reynders also remarked that protecting consumers in the digital age has brought a new set of challenges and that the Commission is currently assessing existing EU consumer laws for their adequacy in addressing new digital issues such as dark patterns and influencer marketing.

With regards to the green transition, Reynders said that to ensure consumers play an active role, the European Commission has championed the introduction of new rules on the right to repair, green claims and the eco-design of products.

He also stressed on the importance of ensuring that the sustainable choice is the easy and affordable choice for consumers.

The Commissioner commended the Maltese Government on the recent ‘Stabbilta’ initiative which led the industry to reach voluntary agreements that have the well-being of consumers as their ultimate objective.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Consumer Protection, Chris Fearne, focused on the element of trust which must be present between consumers and vendors, “the New Consumer Agenda must ensure that consumers benefit from trustworthy transactions, whether they are purchasing goods and services in person, online, from a Member State or even if they are buying from a vendor who is located outside the EU.”

Fearne also emphasised on the need for a level-playing field for consumers across the EU which, he added, can only be achieved if consumer-related legislation does not disproportionately burden the sustainability and affordability of products and services in particular regions, due to their size or geographic location, as is sometimes the case for Malta.

The Director General for the Technical Regulations Division, Rudie Vella, spoke about how the new General Product Safety Regulation will strengthen consumer safety against dangerous products even when such products are bought from non-EU countries.

Grace Stivala, Director General of the Office for Consumer Affairs, provided an overview on how the green transition proposals empower consumers to make sustainable purchase choices.

She also addressed potential hurdles in implementing the new regulations, such as the right to repair, highlighting the significance of targeted awareness and education campaigns aimed at both consumers and traders to ensure prompt and effective compliance.

In her concluding remarks, Helga Pizzuto, Chairperson of the MCCAA, highlighted the Authority’s continued outreach efforts to both consumers and traders.

She said that such engagement was essential to ensure the development and effective implementation of high-quality regulation.

Pizzuto also highlighted the importance to continue working on effective approaches to build a resilient legislative framework to protect against consumer detriment linked to the implementation of new technologies and business models.

During the dialogue, expert panellists discussed the transformative impact of digitisation on consumers and how consumer rights can be safeguarded in the transition to sustainability.

The panel included representatives from traders’ and consumers’ associations, the MCCAA, the European Consumer Centre Malta, Circular Economy Malta and also the European Commission Director within the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.