Timeline - Consumer protection

The Council gave its green light on a new law aiming at simplifying, clarifying and strengthening air passenger rights.

The new framework reinforces passenger protection while ensuring a fair balance with airlines' operational realities. It also helps preserve connectivity across the EU and maintain a level playing field for airlines.

• Council gives final clearance for stronger air passenger rights (press release, 13 July 2026)

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement to update the rules on the enforcement of passenger rights.

The aim is to simplify, harmonise and improve consistency across the existing framework for all modes of transport. 

This applies particularly as regards:

• informing passengers about their rights before and during their journey
• the protection of passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs)
• the handling of complaints 
• ensuring effective enforcement of passenger rights

• Council and Parliament agree on more effective enforcement of passenger rights (25 June 2026)

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement to update the rules. The new framework will strengthen and clarify passenger rights.

The updated rules include:

• clearer guidance on how to claim compensation in cases of cancellation and delay
• extra assistance during disruptions
• new rights regarding 'no-shows' and hand luggage, and for people with specific needs
• enhanced rights for passengers being rerouted

• Council and Parliament reach landmark agreement on stronger EU air passenger rights (press release, 15 June 2026)

The Council adopted a directive which aims to strengthen travellers' rights when buying various services, such as flights, transfers, accommodation, or excursions, in a single package.

The updated rules:

• adjust the definition of ‘package travel’
• enhance the information that must be provided to travellers
• clarify travellers' rights in the event of package cancellation or service provider insolvency

• Consumer protection: Council gives final sign off to additional safeguards for package travel users (press release, 30 March 2026)

The Council approved conclusions that provide guidance to the Commission for the implementation of the five-year 2030 consumer agenda.

The conclusions call for:

• the strengthening of consumer protection (in particular online)
• the promotion of sustainable consumption
• better enforcement
• stronger cooperation between all the relevant actors

• Consumer protection: Council calls for stronger safeguards, sustainable consumption, enhanced enforcement and simplification (press release, 26 February 2026)

• Retail investment strategy: Council and Parliament agree on package to empower consumers while boosting markets (press release, 18 December 2025)

The Council gave its final approval to the detergents and surfactants regulation.

The new legislation will make it easier to sell those products across the EU market while protecting human health and the environment. It will also simplify information for consumers and clarify labelling requirements for companies. 

• Consumer and environmental protection: Council approves the detergents and surfactants regulation (press release, 8 December 2025)

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on a revision of the directive on package travel which aims to make the protection of travellers more effective.

In a package travel, the organiser combines different travel or touristic services such as flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions, etc. Packages are bought both online and offline, and can be offered by tour operators, travel agencies, carriers and other operators.

The agreement strengthens consumers' rights, reduces burdens for operators and clarifies the obligations of package organisers on issues such as refunds, insolvency protection and the use of vouchers.

• Consumer protection: Council and Parliament strike a deal on revising rules on package travel (press release, 2 December 2025)

• Payment services: Council and Parliament agree to step up the fight against fraud and increase transparency (press release, 27 November 2025)

The Council gave its final approval to a directive that updates, simplifies, and enhances the existing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) framework.

ADR refers to methods for resolving disputes between consumers and traders outside of court, typically with the assistance of a neutral third party.

The text will make ADR more accessible and more appealing option for resolving disputes arising from contractual agreements, and make ADR framework fit to digital market.

Subject to certain conditions, ADR will now also be available for disputes between EU-based consumers and traders from third countries.

• Consumer protection: Council approves the updated alternative dispute resolution directive (press release, 17 November 2025)

The Council gave its final approval on the toy safety regulation which will reinforce safety rules, increases protection against harmful chemicals and promotes the use of digital product passports to facilitate enforcement.

The new toy safety regulation bans or restricts the use in toys of several dangerous chemical substances, including endocrine disruptors, skin sensitisers, biocidal products, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

• Council adopts new rules to make children toys safer (press release, 13 October 2025)

• Council sets position on clearer and improved rules for air passengers (press release, 5 June 2025)

The Council adopted a regulation to shut down the European online dispute resolution platform (ODR platform) and remove the associated obligations for administrations and online businesses. 

In line with the Commission’s proposal, the Council considers that the level of performance of the existing ODR platform does not justify the public and private costs required to maintain it.

• Council calls for the closure of the ODR platform and its replacement with a better tool (press release, 19 November 2024)

The Council adopted its position on a package of measures to adapt the alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

ADR mechanisms allow consumers to settle their disputes with companies before going to court.

The aim is to: 

• cover new kinds of unfair practice (e.g. misleading advertising or unjustified geo-blocking)
• make these mechanisms easier to use, faster and more attractive for both consumers and companies

• Consumer rights: Council adopts position on measures to facilitate dispute resolution (press release, 25 September 2024)

The Council adopted a directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the right to repair (R2R) directive.

The adopted directive creates a set of tools and incentives to make repair more attractive for consumers. These include: 

• requiring manufacturers to repair products that are technically repairable under EU law
• the availability of a voluntary repair form with clear information regarding the repair process (deadlines, prices, etc.)
• an online EU platform where consumers can easily find repair services
• the extension of the legal warranty by 12 months if consumers choose repair over replacement

• Circular economy: Council gives final approval to right-to-repair directive (press release, 30 May 2024)
• Right to repair products

The Council adopted its position (negotiating mandate) on the toy safety regulation.

The regulation aims to update the rules to protect children from risks related to the use of toys.

The Council position introduces several improvements, which:

• clarify the obligations of economic operators and online marketplaces
• set out the contents of the digital product passport and warnings
• increase the number of substances whose presence in toys is prohibited

• Toy safety: Council adopts position on updated rules (press release, 15 May 2024)

The Council adopted a directive to empower consumers for the green transition.

Thanks to the new measures, EU consumers will:

• have access to reliable information to make the right green choices, including on early obsolescence
• be better protected against unfair green claims
• be better informed about the repairability of products before purchase

The directive also introduces a harmonised label with information on the commercial guarantee of durability that producers offer.

• Consumer rights: final approval for the directive to empower consumers for the green transition (press release, 20 February 2024)
• Circular economy (background information)

The Council adopted a regulation on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rental services.

This legislative act will:

• enhance transparency in the field of short-term accommodation rentals
• help public authorities regulate this increasingly important part of the tourism sector
• allow fair competition within the sector while guaranteeing quality for consumers

Overall, the regulation will contribute to a more sustainable tourism ecosystem and support its digital transition.

• Tourism: Council gives its final approval to the regulation for short-term rentals (press release, 18 March 2024)

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on the right-to-repair directive. The main elements are:

• a right for consumers to request manufacturers to repair products that are technically repairable under EU law (for instance, washing machines, vacuum cleaners or mobile phones)
• a free-of-charge European repair information form
• an online repair platform to connect consumers with repairers 
• an extension of 12 months of the liability period of the seller after the repair of a product

By creating incentives for producers and consumers to prolong lifecycles of products, the new legislation will also reduce waste and promote more sustainable business models. 

• Circular economy: Council and Parliament strike provisional deal on the right to repair directive (press release, 2 February 2024)
• Circular economy (background information)

In a circular economy, products are designed to be more durable, reusable, reparable and upgradable. When a product is modified substantially, outside the original manufacturer’s control, and is made available on the market or put into service again, the new law would ensure that:

• the company or person that made the substantial modification should be held liable as the manufacturer of the modified product
• anyone who suffers damage by a defective product is entitled to compensation: damages include death or personal injury, including medically recognised damage to psychological health, damage to or destruction of property, as well as destruction or irreversible corruption of data
• the importer of a defective product or component from a non-EU manufacturer can be held liable for damages
• consumers have a fair chance of receiving compensation in complex cases

• Agreement between the Council and the European Parliament makes EU liability rules fit for the digital age and circular economy (press release, 14 December 2023)

The Council adopted its position on the proposed directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods, also known as the right to repair directive. 

The proposed text aims to remove obstacles that discourage consumers to repair due to inconvenience, a lack of transparency or difficulty accessing repair services.  

The Council mandate: 

• clarifies a manufacturer’s obligation to repair 
• limits the requirement to provide a repair form to those who have a legal obligation to fix defective products 
• promotes a European online repair platform  
• protects consumers’ freedom of choice between repair and replacement 

• Circular economy: Council adopts position on a directive that enshrines consumers’ right to repair (press release, 22 November 2023)

As part of the ongoing efforts to promote a balanced tourism ecosystem within the EU, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on the proposal of a regulation relating to data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rental services. 

The new rules will:  

• harmonise registration requirements for hosts, including by providing them a unique registration number
• help public authorities design informed policies
• enhance transparency in the sector

• Tourism: Council and Parliament reach a deal to bring more transparency to short-term accommodation rentals (press release, 16 November 2023)

The Council adopted the consumer credit directive, which aims at enhancing protection for European consumers applying for credit.

The new rules:

• ensure that credit information, such as the total cost of the credit, is presented in a clear and understandable way
• establish stricter advertising rules to reduce abusive credit to over-indebted consumers and effective measures against overcharging
• oblige lenders to assess whether consumers can repay their credit
• enlarge the scope of the directive to cover loans below €200 and buy-now-pay-later products
• give consumers the right to terminate a credit agreement within 14 days, and give cancer survivors the right to be forgotten

• Asking for a loan will be safer in the EU after the Council’s final approval of the consumer credit directive (press release, 9 October 2023)
• Consumer protection for financial products (background information)

The directive to empower consumers for the green transition aims to fight against unfair commercial practices that prevent consumers from making the right choices for greener or more circular products and services.

The provisional agreement introduces several improvements:

• the inclusion of unfair claims based on greenhouse emissions offsetting on the list of banned practices
• better information on early obsolescence
• the introduction of a harmonised format to increase the visibility of the voluntary commercial guarantee of durability

• Council and Parliament reach provisional agreement to empower consumers for the green transition (press release, 19 September 2023)
• Circular economy (background information)

The Council and the Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the directive concerning financial services contracts concluded at a distance.

The new rules include: 

• clearer pre-signature information 
• the right to request human intervention when the trader uses online tools, such as chatbots 
• an easy-to-find withdrawal function 
• the protection from dark pattern techniques designed to influence consumers’ choices

• Council and Parliament reach provisional political agreement on financial services contracts concluded at a distance (press release, 6 June 2023)
• Consumer protection for financial products (background information)

The Council adopted the new regulation on machinery.

The new text:

• harmonises the essential health and safety requirements for machinery in the EU
• promotes the free movement of machinery
• ensures a high level of safety for workers and citizens

• New rules for machinery: Council gives its final approval (press release, 22 May 2023)

The Council formally adopted a regulation on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) bringing crypto-assets and crypto-assets service providers under a regulatory framework at EU level for the first time.

The new regulation aims to:

• improve transparency
• preserve financial stability
• increase consumer protection
• foster innovation

• Digital finance: Council adopts new rules on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) (press release, 16 May 2023)
• Digital finance (background information)

The Council adopted its negotiating mandate on the proposed directive to empower consumers for the green transition. 

The Council position:

• reinforces consumers’ right to information
• bans generic environmental claims
• introduces a European Union harmonised graphic format, to help consumers recognise commercial guarantees of durability

 The proposal is one of the initiatives set out in the Commission’s 2020 new consumer agenda.

• Empowering consumers for the green transition: Council adopts its position (press release, 3 May 2023)
• European green deal (background information)

Ministers approved the Council’s negotiating position on a proposal for a regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services.

These new rules will benefit to all: 

• hosts will have an easy registration procedure
• platforms will have a single set of rules for the information they have to provide
• travellers will be better protected against fraud
• authorities will be able to regulate based on accurate and reliable data

• Council agrees position on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rentals (press release, 2 March 2023)

The Council today adopted the general product safety regulation (GPSR), which reinforces the safety rules for products sold both offline and online. 

Online marketplaces will be required to:

• co-operate with market surveillance authorities that will be able to order them to remove dangerous products from their platforms
• establish a single point of contact in charge of product safety

The GPSR also makes it easier for consumers to repair, return or replace unsafe products:

• if a product proves to be unsafe, economic operators must immediately adopt corrective measures and inform market surveillance authorities
• if a product is recalled, consumers will be entitled either to have it repaired or replaced or to be refunded

• Council gives final green light to legislation that will make products safer for consumers (press release, 25 April 2023)
• Product safety and market surveillance (background information)

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the consumer credit directive, part of the new consumer agenda launched in 2020. 

The directive aims to modernise and enhance protection at European level for consumers applying for credit, for example by ensuring that credit information is presented in a clear and understandable way, and is adapted to digital devices.

The consumer credit directive will make sure that consumers can make an informed choice when applying for credit and are protected from irresponsible lending practices that could lead to over-indebtedness.

 To keep up with the trend of digitalisation, the new credit rules will now also apply to certain risky loans that are excluded from the scope of the directive currently in force.

• Council and European Parliament agree to improve protection for consumers applying for credit (press release, 2 December 2022)
• Consumer protection for financial products (background information)

The Council gave its final approval to the common charger directive

The directive will make a USB-C charging port mandatory for a whole range of electronic devices. Having a common charger will improve consumer convenience by harmonising charging interfaces and fast charging technology. 

The directive will allow consumers to choose whether to purchase a new device with or without a charger. This will reduce the electronic waste associated with the production, transportation and disposal of chargers.  

The new rules will have to be implemented for most devices within 24 months of the entry into force of the directive. 

• Common charger: EU ministers give final approval to one-size-fits-all charging port (press release, 24 October 2022)

The Council gave its final approval to the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is set to create a safer online environment.

The DSA:

• protects the digital space against the dissemination of illegal content
• ensures the protection of users’ fundamental rights
• defines clear responsibilities and accountability for providers of intermediary services (e.g. social media, online marketplaces)

• DSA: Council gives final approval to the protection of users’ rights online (press release, 4 October 2022)

Member states agreed on a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal for a regulation on general product safety (GPSR).

As an increasing number of consumers buy goods and products online, the GPSR proposal modernises the rules for online marketplaces and updates them for online businesses.

The revised rules for general product safety aim to ensure that products of the digital age meet European safety standards.

• General product safety regulation: Council adopts its position (press release, 20 July 2022)
• Product safety and market surveillance (background information)

The Council gave its final approval to new rules for a fair and competitive digital sector through the Digital Markets Act (DMA).  

The DMA creates a level digital playing field with clear rights and rules for large online platforms (‘gatekeepers’) to make sure that none of them abuse their position.

Regulating the digital market at EU level will ensure a fair and competitive digital sector, so that companies and consumers all benefit from digital opportunities.

• DMA: Council gives final approval to new rules for fair competition online (press release, 18 July 2022)

The Council agreed its position (‘general approach’) on the revision of the consumer credit directive. 

The directive aims to promote responsible and transparent practices by all players involved in consumer credit, for example by ensuring that credit information is presented in a clear and understandable way, and is adapted to digital devices.

The Council’s mandate:

• proposes to exclude certain products from the scope (e.g. direct crowdfunding)
• suggests an optional partial derogation from certain provisions for some of the credit products deemed to be less risky
• proposes to merge the pre-contractual information forms that have to be presented to consumers

• Consumer protection: Council adopts its position on new rules for consumer credits (press release, 9 June 2022)

The Council approved the extension until 2032 of the roam like at home scheme, which allows people to make calls, text and browse the web at no extra cost while travelling in other EU countries.

The new rules will increase transparency for services that may be subject to extra cost, and will also protect customers from bill shocks resulting from inadvertent roaming on non-terrestrial mobile networks when on ferries or aeroplanes.

• Mobile roaming with no extra fees to continue, following Council approval (press release, 4 April 2022)
• A digital future for Europe (background information)

The Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) gave its support to the political agreement reached between the Council and the European Parliament’s negotiators on the amendments to the motor insurance directive

The new rules will strengthen the protection of injured parties in motor vehicle accidents and improve the rights of policyholders.

• Motor insurance directive: Coreper endorses provisional agreement (press release, 28 June 2021)

The Council adopted its first reading position on the proposed regulation establishing the EU single market programme for the years 2021 to 2027. 

The main objective of the programme is to enable citizens, consumers, businesses and public authorities throughout the EU to take full advantage of market integration.

To that effect, it promotes actions aiming to:

• improve the governance and the functioning of the internal market
• strengthen the competitiveness of EU enterprises, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
• enable the development of high-quality European standards
• increase consumer protection
• enhance human, animal and plant health, as well as animal welfare

• Council adopts position on €4.2 billion single market programme for 2021-2027 (press release, 16 April 2021)
• EU single market (background information)

The Council adopted a set of conclusions in response to the Commission’s communication on a ‘New Consumer Agenda: Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery’, which presents a holistic vision for EU consumer policy for the years 2020 to 2025.

The conclusions:

• aim to provide political guidance
• highlight the need to address consumer concerns into the design of sectoral EU policies, such as the ones linked to the green and digital transitions
• refer to the importance of consumer' trust for stimulating economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis

The Council welcomes the Commission’s intention to address issues such as:

• the ‘right to repair’
• online and offline consumer protection
• product safety
• the prevention of over-indebtedness

• New Consumer Agenda: Council adopts conclusions (press release, 22 February 2021)

The Council adopted a reform of rail passenger rights, which will strengthen the rights of all passengers, and in particular those with disabilities or reduced mobility.

The updated provisions will reinforce the rules on re-routing and make it easier to transport bicycles on trains.

They will also promote the use of through-tickets, which improves protection in the event of missed connections.

• Improved rail passenger rights adopted by Council (press release, 25 January 2021)

Following the agreement reached with the European Parliament in June 2020, the Council today adopted its position at first reading on a draft directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers.

The directive requires member states to put in place a system of representative actions for the protection of consumers’ collective interests against infringements of Union law.

It covers actions for both injunctions and redress measures.

The directive was proposed by the Commission in April 2018 as part of the Commission’s ‘New deal for consumers’ package, which aimed to ensure fair and transparent rules for EU consumers.

• Collective redress for consumers : Council adopts position at first reading (press release, 4 November 2020)

The Council adopted a regulation with new rules on the labelling of tyres with respect to parameters such as fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise.

The aim of the regulation is to make labels more visible and to give consumers more information to enable them to choose safer, more fuel-efficient and quieter tyres. 

The regulation still needs to be formally adopted by the European Parliament.

Following an agreement with the European Parliament in March 2019, the Council adopted a regulation on the general safety of motor vehicles and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users in a bid to significantly reduce the number of road casualties.

Under the new rules, all motor vehicles (including trucks, buses, vans and sport utility vehicles) will have to be equipped with the following safety features :

• intelligent speed assistance
• alcohol interlock installation facilitation
• driver drowsiness and attention warning systems
• advanced driver distraction warning systems
• emergency stop signals
• reversing detection systems
• event data recorders
• accurate tyre pressure monitoring

• Safer cars in the EU (press release, 8 November 2019)

Following an agreement with the European Parliament in March 2019, the Council adopted a directive that modernises EU law on consumer protection and facilitates the enforcement of consumer rights.

The directive guarantees higher standards of protection for EU consumers when they buy products or services online.

It also provides for more robust measures against unfair or misleading trade practices across the EU.

This directive is part of the ‘New Deal for Consumers’, launched by the Commission in 2017.

• EU consumers' protection to be reinforced (press release, 8 November 2019)

The Council adopted a regulation which strengthens market surveillance in order to ensure that products placed on the market in the EU are safe and compliant with EU legislation. 

The regulation:

• consolidates the existing framework for market surveillance activities
• addresses the challenges of international e-commerce and online trade
• encourages joint actions by market surveillance authorities from several member states
• introduces a fully digital workflow to improve the exchange of information between authorities and the Commission
• creates a strengthened framework for controls on products entering the single market and for improved cooperation between market surveillance authorities and customs authorities

• EU adopts regulation to keep unsafe products off the market (press release, 14 June 2019)

The Council adopted new rules to make it easier and safer for consumers to buy and companies to sell both goods and digital content cross-border.

The digital content directive provides that:

• if it is not possible to fix defects within a reasonable amount of time, the consumer is entitled to a price reduction or full reimbursement
• the guarantee period cannot be shorter than two years

The sales of goods directive introduces:

• a two-year minimum guarantee period
• a one-year period for the reversed burden of proof in favour of the consumer

The objective is to provide a high level of protection and legal certainty for European consumers, in particular when buying across borders, as well as to make it easier for businesses, especially SMEs, to sell EU-wide.

• EU adopts new rules on sales contracts for goods and digital content (press release, 15 April 2019)