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PARALLEL TEXTS
Stop al marketing fraudolento: intervento della Commissione europea per un maggior rispetto delle norme contro le pratiche commerciali sleali
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-227_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-227_it.htm
Data documento: 14-03-2013
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Putting a stop to marketing scams: European Commission takes action to strengthen enforcement against unfair commercial practices
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Stop al marketing fraudolento: intervento della Commissione europea per un maggior rispetto delle norme contro le pratiche commerciali sleali
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Brussels, 14 March 2013 – Today, the European Commission outlined a series of actions to tackle aggressive commercial practices across the EU such as fake ‘free’ offers, ‘bait and switch’ advertising for products which cannot be supplied, and exhortation of children.
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Bruxelles, 14 marzo 2013 – La Commissione europea ha illustrato oggi una serie di interventi contro le pratiche commerciali aggressive nell’Unione europea, come le offerte falsamente “gratuite”, la pubblicità propagandistica per prodotti che non possono essere venduti o le sollecitazioni all’acquisto dirette ai minori.
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Five years after it entered into force, the Commission reviewed the application of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and announced plans to step up enforcement of the rules to increase citizens' trust when shopping in Europe’s internal market.
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La Commissione ha esaminato, a cinque anni dall’entrata in vigore, l’applicazione della direttiva sulle pratiche commerciali sleali e ha annunciato l’intenzione di potenziare il rispetto della normativa per accrescere la fiducia dei cittadini che fanno acquisti nel mercato interno europeo.
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The initiative is part of the Commission’s action to boost consumer confidence under the European Consumer Agenda (IP/12/491).
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Questa iniziativa fa parte dell’azione della Commissione volta a creare un clima di fiducia nel quadro dell’agenda europea dei consumatori (IP/12/491).
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By shopping online across EU borders, consumers can benefit from up to 16 times more products from which to choose, but 60% of consumers are still not taking advantage of this. As a result, consumers do not fully benefit from the variety of choice and lower prices available in the Single Market.
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Acquistando online nei paesi dell’UE si ha una scelta di prodotti 16 volte più ampia, ma il 60% dei consumatori non approfitta di questa possibilità e, di conseguenza, non trae vantaggio dalla varietà di scelta e dalle differenze di prezzo esistenti nel mercato unico.
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Improving consumer confidence by better enforcing the rules can provide a major boost to economic growth in Europe.
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Rafforzare la fiducia dei consumatori garantendo con maggior efficacia il rispetto delle norme può dare un forte impulso alla crescita economica in Europa.
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Indeed, surveys show that more consumers are now interested in making cross-border purchases and are willing to spend more money cross-border than in 2006, when the EU rules had not yet come into force.
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I sondaggi rivelano infatti che, rispetto al 2006 quando la direttiva non era ancora stata recepita negli Stati membri, sono aumentati i consumatori interessati ad effettuare acquisti transfrontalieri e disposti a spendere più denaro oltre frontiera.
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"Consumer spending accounts for 56% of EU GDP, but a lack of consumer confidence in shopping across EU borders means we are still not tapping into the full potential of the Single Market," said Vice-President Reding, the EU’s Justice Commissioner.
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“Le spese per i consumi rappresentano il 56% del PIL dell’Unione europea, ma la mancanza di fiducia dei consumatori negli acquisti oltrefrontiera nell’UE è segno che non stiamo ancora sfruttando appieno il potenziale del mercato unico”, ha dichiarato Viviane Reding, Vicepresidente e Commissaria europea per la Giustizia.
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"We have good rules in place to protect consumers, but we need to make sure they are better enforced, especially in cross-border cases.
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“Le norme vigenti a tutela dei consumatori sono ben strutturate, ma occorre far sì che siano meglio applicate, specie nei casi transfrontalieri.
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I want to see zero tolerance for rogue traders so consumers know exactly what they are buying and are not getting ripped off.
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Dev’esserci “tolleranza zero” per i professionisti disonesti in modo che i consumatori sappiano esattamente cosa acquistano e non vengano ingannati.
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That also means a coherent approach to enforcing the same set of rules."
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Questo vuol dire adottare un approccio coerente verso l’applicazione dello stesso insieme di norme”.
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Thanks to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, national consumer protection watchdogs have been able to curb a broad range of unfair business practices, such as providing untruthful information to consumers or using aggressive techniques to influence their choices.
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Grazie alla direttiva sulle pratiche commerciali sleali, i garanti nazionali della tutela dei consumatori hanno potuto tenere a freno una vasta gamma di pratiche commerciali sleali, comprese le informazioni menzognere fornite ai consumatori o l’utilizzo di tecniche aggressive per influenzarne le scelte.
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By replacing 27 national regimes with one set of rules, the Directive has simplified rules on unfair commercial practices, making it easier for consumers to know what their rights are, no matter where in the EU they are shopping.
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Sostituendo 27 regimi nazionali con un unico insieme di norme, la direttiva ha semplificato le regole in materia di pratiche commerciali sleali, rendendo più facile per i consumatori conoscere i loro diritti, a prescindere dal luogo nell’UE in cui fanno acquisti.
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But both consumers and traders are still faced with uncertainty in knowing how these rules will be enforced by the different national enforcement bodies.
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Tuttavia, tanto i consumatori quanto i professionisti hanno ancora difficoltà a sapere come verranno applicate queste norme dalle varie autorità nazionali competenti.
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Four out of five EU online consumers (81%) used a price comparison website in 2010.
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Nel 2010 quattro consumatori online su cinque nell’UE (l’81%) hanno usato un sito di confronto dei prezzi.
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However, such tools can only help to boost consumer confidence if they provide clear and accurate information – which is not necessarily the case today.
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Questi strumenti, però, possono servire a rafforzare la fiducia del consumatore solo se forniscono informazioni in modo chiaro e accurato, cosa che non sempre oggi si verifica.
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Various stakeholders have signalled problems with price comparison websites, particularly in relation to transparency and incompleteness of the information given.
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Vari portatori d’interessi hanno segnalato problemi riguardo ai siti di confronto dei prezzi, specie in termini di trasparenza e completezza dell’informazione fornita.
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What's more, recurring issues or emerging commercial practices, such as those taking place in the on-line environment, often have a cross-border dimension and raise common questions for national enforcers.
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Per di più, problemi ricorrenti o pratiche commerciali nuove, come quelle poste in essere nell’ambiente digitale, spesso hanno una dimensione transnazionale e pongono questioni comuni alle autorità nazionali;
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This calls for a more coherent approach to enforcement.
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ciò richiede un approccio più coerente verso l’applicazione.
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By way of example, a leading market player in electronic devices was fined by a national enforcer for offering consumers a 2 year warranty on their products for a charge, despite consumers already having a right to this service for free under EU law.
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Ne è un esempio l’ammenda irrogata da un’autorità nazionale ad un’impresa leader del mercato degli apparecchi elettronici per aver offerto a pagamento una garanzia di due anni sui propri prodotti, nonostante i consumatori avessero già diritto a questo servizio gratuitamente ai sensi del diritto dell’Unione.
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Given that similar concerns had arisen in other Member States, Vice-President Viviane Reding wrote to all Consumer Affairs Ministers to draw attention to the case and enquire as to the enforcement action taken nationally.
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Poiché problemi simili erano già stati riscontrati in altri Stati membri, la Vicepresidente Viviane Reding ha scritto a tutti i ministri degli Stati membri dell’UE responsabili della tutela dei consumatori per attirare la loro attenzione sulla questione e verificare quanto sia stato fatto per garantire il rispetto delle norme a livello nazionale.
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The responses received highlight a lack of consistency in interpreting and enforcing the Directive by national authorities.
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Dalle risposte ricevute è emersa una mancanza di coerenza nell’interpretare e far rispettare la direttiva da parte delle autorità nazionali.
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The Commission will therefore seek to play a more prominent role in reinforcing cooperation between national enforcement bodies by:
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La Commissione intende quindi svolgere un ruolo più incisivo nel rafforzare la cooperazione tra autorità nazionali responsabili dell’applicazione della normativa, attraverso:
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- Strengthening the efficiency of the European consumer protection network and further promoting coordinated enforcement actions ("sweeps");
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- una maggior efficienza della rete di cooperazione per la protezione dei consumatori e la promozione delle indagini a tappeto (“sweeps”);
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- Assisting Member States in effectively applying the Directive with guidance and sharing best practices;
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- il supporto agli Stati membri nell’applicazione efficace della direttiva per mezzo di orientamenti e scambi di buone prassi;
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- Developing enforcement indicators to detect shortcomings and failures that require further investigative and/or corrective action;
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- l’elaborazione di indicatori del rispetto delle norme, per identificare le carenze e i punti deboli che richiedono ulteriori interventi di indagine e/o correttivi;
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- Establishing regular thematic workshops between national enforcers and organising training for enforcers and the judiciary.
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- l’organizzazione di seminari tematici periodici tra autorità nazionali responsabili dell’applicazione e di formazioni per tali autorità e per i magistrati.
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The travel and transport, digital, financial services and property markets have been identified as the major sectors where consumers continue to lose out and where more efforts are required.
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I principali mercati in cui i consumatori continuano a perdere denaro e in cui serve agire di più sono stati identificati nei servizi turistici e di trasporto, nel digitale, nei servizi finanziari e nei beni immobili.
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In addition, enforcers need to take a closer look at environmental 'green' claims by retailers, which are often very general, vague and not always used responsibly.
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Inoltre, le autorità responsabili del rispetto della normativa devono verificare più attentamente le “asserzioni ambientali” ed “ecologiche”, spesso usate dai rivenditori in modo vago e non sempre in maniera responsabile.
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Background
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Contesto
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Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices, adopted in 2005, lays down harmonised rules to tackle unfair commercial practices.
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Adottata nel 2005, la direttiva 2005/29/CE sulle pratiche commerciali sleali stabilisce norme armonizzate per contrastare le pratiche commerciali sleali.
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It ensures that consumers are neither misled nor exposed to aggressive marketing and that any claim made by traders in the EU is clear, accurate and substantiated, enabling consumers to make informed and meaningful choices.
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E garantisce che i consumatori non siano tratti in inganno o sottoposti ad un marketing aggressivo e che le qualità vantate dai professionisti nell’Unione siano chiare, accurate e comprovate, permettendo in tal modo ai consumatori di fare scelte informate ed appropriate.
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The Directive also aims to ensure, promote and protect fair competition in the area of commercial practices.
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La direttiva si prefigge anche di garantire, promuovere e tutelare la concorrenza leale nel settore delle pratiche commerciali.
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It has a broad scope and applies to all economic sectors.
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Il suo campo di applicazione è ampio e comprende tutti i settori economici.
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Specific provisions prevent exploitation of vulnerable consumers, such as children.The Directive also contains a "Black List" of practices, such as "bait advertising" "fake free offers", which are prohibited under all circumstances.
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Norme specifiche vietano lo sfruttamento di consumatori vulnerabili, come i minori, mentre nella “lista nera” sono elencate le pratiche - come la pubblicità propagandistica (“bait advertising”) o le offerte falsamente gratuite - che sono vietate in qualunque circostanza.
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In today's report, Member States and stakeholders have signalled that a lack of resources, complexity of internal procedures and lack of deterrent sanctions threaten to undermine the proper application of the legislation.
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Come indicato dagli Stati membri e dai portatori d’interessi nella relazione pubblicata oggi, la mancanza di risorse, la complessità delle procedure interne e l’assenza di sanzioni deterrenti rischiano di pregiudicare l’applicazione corretta della normativa.
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The European Consumer Summit of 18-19 March 2013 organised by the Commission will provide an opportunity to discuss with all stakeholders concrete solutions to improve enforcement of consumer rights, within and across national borders and to explore ways of providing effective responses to cases of EU relevance in the Single Market.
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Il vertice europeo dei consumatori del 18-19 marzo 2013, organizzato dalla Commissione, sarà l’occasione per discutere con tutti gli interessati soluzioni concrete per migliorare il rispetto dei diritti dei consumatori, a livello nazionale e transnazionale, e per sondare in che modo si possa rispondere in modo efficace nei casi di importanza europea all’interno del mercato unico.
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
Putting a stop to marketing scams: European Commission takes action to
strengthen enforcement against unfair commercial practices
Brussels, 14 March 2013 – Today, the European Commission outlined a
series of actions to tackle aggressive commercial practices across the EU such
as fake ‘free’ offers, ‘bait and switch’ advertising for products which cannot
be supplied, and exhortation of children.
Five years after it entered into force, the Commission reviewed the
application of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and announced plans to
step up enforcement of the rules to increase citizens' trust when shopping in
Europe’s internal market.
The initiative is part of the Commission’s action to boost consumer
confidence under the European Consumer Agenda (IP/12/491).
By shopping online across EU borders, consumers can benefit from up to
16 times more products from which to choose, but 60% of consumers are still not
taking advantage of this. As a result, consumers do not fully benefit from the
variety of choice and lower prices available in the Single Market.
Improving consumer confidence by better enforcing the rules can provide
a major boost to economic growth in Europe.
Indeed, surveys show that more consumers are now interested in making
cross-border purchases and are willing to spend more money cross-border than in
2006, when the EU rules had not yet come into force.
"Consumer spending accounts for 56% of EU GDP, but a lack of consumer confidence
in shopping across EU borders means we are still not tapping into the full
potential of the Single Market," said Vice-President Reding, the EU’s Justice
Commissioner.
"We have good rules in place to protect consumers, but we need to make
sure they are better enforced, especially in cross-border cases.
I want to see zero tolerance for rogue traders so consumers know
exactly what they are buying and are not getting ripped off.
That also means a coherent approach to enforcing the same set of
rules."
Thanks to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, national consumer
protection watchdogs have been able to curb a broad range of unfair business
practices, such as providing untruthful information to consumers or using
aggressive techniques to influence their choices.
By replacing 27 national regimes with one set of rules, the Directive
has simplified rules on unfair commercial practices, making it easier for
consumers to know what their rights are, no matter where in the EU they are
shopping.
But both consumers and traders are still faced with uncertainty in
knowing how these rules will be enforced by the different national enforcement
bodies.
Four out of five EU online consumers (81%) used a price comparison
website in 2010.
However, such tools can only help to boost consumer confidence if they
provide clear and accurate information – which is not necessarily the case
today.
Various stakeholders have signalled problems with price comparison
websites, particularly in relation to transparency and incompleteness of the
information given.
What's more, recurring issues or emerging commercial practices, such as
those taking place in the on-line environment, often have a cross-border
dimension and raise common questions for national enforcers.
This calls for a more coherent approach to enforcement.
By way of example, a leading market player in electronic devices was
fined by a national enforcer for offering consumers a 2 year warranty on their
products for a charge, despite consumers already having a right to this service
for free under EU law.
Given that similar concerns had arisen in other Member States,
Vice-President Viviane Reding wrote to all Consumer Affairs Ministers to draw
attention to the case and enquire as to the enforcement action taken nationally.
The responses received highlight a lack of consistency in interpreting
and enforcing the Directive by national authorities.
The Commission will therefore seek to play a more prominent role in
reinforcing cooperation between national enforcement bodies by:
- Strengthening the efficiency of the European consumer protection
network and further promoting coordinated enforcement actions ("sweeps");
- Assisting Member States in effectively applying the Directive with
guidance and sharing best practices;
- Developing enforcement indicators to detect shortcomings and failures
that require further investigative and/or corrective action;
- Establishing regular thematic workshops between national enforcers
and organising training for enforcers and the judiciary.
The travel and transport, digital, financial services and property
markets have been identified as the major sectors where consumers continue to
lose out and where more efforts are required.
In addition, enforcers need to take a closer look at environmental
'green' claims by retailers, which are often very general, vague and not always
used responsibly.
Background
Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices, adopted in 2005,
lays down harmonised rules to tackle unfair commercial practices.
It ensures that consumers are neither misled nor exposed to aggressive
marketing and that any claim made by traders in the EU is clear, accurate and
substantiated, enabling consumers to make informed and meaningful choices.
The Directive also aims to ensure, promote and protect fair competition
in the area of commercial practices.
It has a broad scope and applies to all economic sectors.
Specific provisions prevent exploitation of vulnerable consumers, such
as children.The Directive also contains a "Black List" of practices, such as
"bait advertising" "fake free offers", which are prohibited under all
circumstances.
In today's report, Member States and stakeholders have signalled that a
lack of resources, complexity of internal procedures and lack of deterrent
sanctions threaten to undermine the proper application of the legislation.
The European Consumer Summit of 18-19 March 2013 organised by the
Commission will provide an opportunity to discuss with all stakeholders concrete
solutions to improve enforcement of consumer rights, within and across national
borders and to explore ways of providing effective responses to cases of EU
relevance in the Single Market.
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