The European Consumer Centre Network – ECC-Net (engelsk)

Hører til english

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) is a new network within the European Union and the European Economic Agreement area countries (EEA).

Forbrukerrådet Publisert: 04.05.2005 10:00

The European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net) is a new network within the European Union and the European Economic Agreement area countries (EEA). Most of the European countries have joined the network, and more and more countries now open their offices/contact centres. The aim of the centres is to give you advice and provide you with information on your rights as a consumer when you buy goods and services in Europe. They will also provide you as a consumer with easy access to cross-border alternative disputes solving systems instead of legal proceedings, if you have bought a commodity or service outside your home country. The network seeks to ensure that European consumers feel just as safe when shopping in an other European country as they do at home.

This new network is a result from a merger of two former networks: The European Consumer Centre, also known as ‘Euroguichets’, and Extra-Judicial Network, or ‘EEJ-Net’. The Euroguichet-offices provided information and assistance on cross-border issues, while ‘EEJ-Net’ helped consumers to resolve cross-border disputes through alternative disputes solving methods such as committee handling or arbitration. The aim of the new network is to give the consumers a place to consult for help, by providing both information about rights and dispute resolution at one and the same contact centre.

The network shall help European consumers to understand better the rules of the Internal Market of the EU, and to provide information if they meet with problems. It will therefore be given information about the committees and complaining availabilities that exist within Europe, legal counselling and practical help to have their complaint advanced. The network also carries out cross-border inquiries with regard to among other things prices, legislation and other issues of consumer concern.

The network cooperates with other networks such as:

• FIN-NET :This is a network for out-of-court-settlement in case of cross-border complaints on financial services.
  Look up more information on FIN-NET>>

• SOLVIT: This is a network where the state on behalf of companies and citizens takes up problems they meet with when getting in touch with public administration in one of the other EEA-area countries..
  Look up more information on SOLVIT>>

Consumer Europe – ECC Norway

In Norway we have for many years participated in the ‘EEJ-Net’ collaboration only. This means that we for the time being assist consumers with cross-border dispute resolution within Europe. We are now considering the possibility that Norway participates fully in the network from 2006 on, with legal counselling and information on European substantive law and procedure.

Here you will find some more information about the network