European Consumer Centres Network

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) pursues the following objectives with regard to consumers:

• to provide information so as to enable consumers to purchase goods and services in the internal market with full knowledge of their rights and duties;
• to respond to direct requests for information from consumers or other parties;
• in the event of a complaint, to help and support consumers in their contacts with the business operator;
• where necessary, to help consumers in the event of a dispute.

All Member States have a national contact point belonging to the ECC Network. Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, also have a national contact point.

Operation

The ECC-Net budget is provided for under the European programme for consumer policy. One objective of the programme is to support the cooperation of Member States concerning information, advice and appeals in consumer protection matters.

Collaboration with other networks

The ECC network also cooperates with other European networks, namely FIN-NET (financial), SOLVIT (internal market) and the European Judicial Network on civil and commercial matters.

Context

The ECC network is a result of the merger in 2005 of the two existing consumer protection networks: the Network for the extra-judicial settlement of consumer disputes (EEJ-Net) and the Network of Euroguichets.

The EEJ Network was created following a Council Resolution of 25 May 2000. Its objective was to enable complaints to be processed amicably. The Euroguichets were created in the early 1990s at the Commission's initiative in order to inform consumers about the possibilities of the internal market and consumers' rights.

Last updated: 04.02.2011