The European Commission has released a report following an evaluation of EU consumer law, assessing fairness both online and offline. This comes after a 'fitness check' conducted over the past two years to determine if current laws need updating. The report will guide the incoming Commissioner on potential changes to EU consumer protection law.

The digital technology sector has urged caution against introducing new regulations without fully implementing and evaluating existing rules. CCIA Europe, which contributed to the fitness check consultations, supports maintaining high consumer protection standards but warns that new rules might not address identified gaps effectively.

Mathilde Adjutor, Senior Policy Manager at CCIA Europe, stated: “The ‘digital fairness’ report should only be seen as a first step in evaluating how fit EU consumer protection rules are for the online world. The European Commission should consider all possibilities, and especially coordinated enforcement of existing consumer laws and digital rulebooks, before proposing more red tape.”

The report highlights issues such as deceptive design or "dark patterns," already covered by current laws. It suggests focusing on enforcing these rather than creating additional regulations. With new legislation like the Digital Services Act and Artificial Intelligence Act recently adopted, it will take time to assess their impact on personalization and online services.

CCIA Europe is keen to hear from Commissioner-designate Michael McGrath about future policies during upcoming hearings in the European Parliament.