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¾No doubt, Victor.

It is high time to think of presents

¾Mary; I am leaving tomorrow. Time has gone very quickly. I need to think of gifts for relatives and friends. Could you advise me anything?

¾Sure. Let's go shopping today. It will take us almost ail of Saturday. Let's make a shopping list first. What sum of money is at your disposal?

¾Well, about ... pounds.

¾And what would you like to buy?

¾Say, body-shop perfumes and cosmetics for my wife. She also wants a fashionable blouse. Shoes and a couple of ties for me. A watch and cassettes for my daughter. T-shirts and souvenirs for friends. Could you recommend anything to begin with?

¾Not far from here there is a very good shopping centre. Look, here is a shopping-guide with a map and here is a discount coupon. You may take it.

¾Oh, thank you very much. Let's have a look. A huge supermarket, two department stores, and a block away a small drugstore, a small boutique, an ice-cream parlor, a discount house. That's great! Come on.

¾And don't forget to visit Oxford Street and me

famous flea markets when you are in London. You are sure to find something interesting there.

At the store

¾What can I do for you, sir?

¾I have chosen this toaster. Could you check it?

¾Certainly. Look, everything is correct. Will you take it? How will you pay?

¾Cash. It costs … pounds, doesn't it? And what is

¾Two years. Here is your guarantee and purchase receipt. Keep them safe in case you wish to exchange this toaster or get a refund later on

Some more shopping

¾I would like to buy this blouse for ray wife, but I am not sure if the size is right.

¾What size does your wife wear?

¾I don't know exactly, but I think she is about the same size as you.

¾Then it's an 18. You may check that according to the conversion table oh your right.

¾Mary, do you think this green one will suit a brunette?

¾Ah, no. If I were you I would take this yellow one.

¾You are right as usual. Ah, if only she could try it on here!

Consumer Rights

In their role as consumers, ordinary EU citizens are key players in the Union's new frontier-free single market The Union has in fact incorporated, as the basis of its consumer policy, the protection of the five fundamental rights which lie at the heart of national policies. These are:

1. The protection of consumers' health and safety.

Only products which will not endanger health or safety may be put on the market. This means setting safety requirements, providing full information about potential risks, and protecting consumers against physical injury.

2. The protection of consumers' economic interests.

There is for example a general ban on misleading advertising and unfair terms irt contracts with Consumers:

3. Consumer rights to information and education

Consumers need to be put in a position where they can make an informed choice among goods and services offered. This includes objective information on the features and price of the items available. Consumers also require proper information about their efficient and safe use.

4. The right to redress

Consumers have the right to receive advice and help when seeking redress for faulty products or for injury or damage resulting from the use of goods and services. There need to be simple, affordable and rapid procedures for settling complaints and claims.

5. Consumer representation and participation

Representatives of consumers need to be present in decision-taking procedures on issues of concern to them at local,

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national or EU level. At Union level, this covers not only specific consumer issues but also other relevant policy areas like food laws, transport, competition policy, financial services, and environment.

When the Community (the farmer name of European Union) adopted its first consumer programme in 1975, it focused on the practical application of the five principles. The. first result was a number of directives which were adopted over the next 10 years covering among other things die safety of cosmetic products, the labelling of foodstuff, misleading advertising, consumer rights in door-step selling, product liability and the provision of consumer credit. .

In addition to its programme of legislation on consumer protection, the Union took steps to make sure the interests of consumers are taken into account at local and EU level. It has supported the development of national consumer organizations and of five major EU-wide organizations with consumer interests.

These are:

—The European Consumer's Organization (BEUC),

—The Confederation of Family Organizations in the European Union (Coface),

—The European Community of Consumer Cooperatives (Eurocoop),

—The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and

—The European Interregional Institute for Consumer Affairs (ЕIIСА).

Internally, the European Commission created an independent Consumer Policy Service in 1989 in order to give more authority and a higher profile to the implementation of consumer policy.

According to the data of 1991; nearly 64 % of Community GDP is devoted to private consumption, the highest proportion being 70.3 % in Greece and the lowest52.5 % in Denmark (63.4 % in UK). The remainder of the GDP is devoted mainly to financing investments and the collective consumption of general government.

On average, Europeans devote 20 % of their 'consumption' budget to food (ranging from 37.8 % in Greece to 16.6 % in Germany, 21.5 % in UK) whereas 17.2 % covers housing expenditure (27.8 % in Denmark as against 10.3 % in Portugal, 18.5

%in UK). There are also marked disparities in spending on leisure and education (4.3 % in Luxembourg compared with 10.5

%in Ireland, with a UK average of 9.7%).

There is plenty to be done, even after the legislative programme set out in the Maastricht Treaty on European Union is completed. The single market, like any other, needs to balance the interests of buyers and sellers if it is to operate efficiently. This means not only fixing additional rules for consumer protection but also ensuring that existing ones are applied correctly (which is not always the case).

LESSON 12 WORSE THINGS HAPPEN...

Victor Klimenko and John Cartwright are discussing by phone some problems which have arisen in connection with the delivery of the equipment.

Telephone Conversation

¾John Cartwright.

¾Hello, John. This is Victor Klimenko, from Kiev.

¾Hello, Victor. Any problems?

¾Yes. Did you receive our fax yesterday?

¾Yes, we did.

¾I'd like to know your reaction to it.

¾We've carefully studied your complaints, Victor. You're perf ectly correct as to the shortdelivery. Items 2.5 and 2.6 lacked

in the consignment of equipment we sent you. It was overlooked by our controller. W e apologize for the oversight. It won't happen again.

¾When will you send us these parts?

¾This week. By air. W e'll also send you some documents t o facilitate customs clearance at your end.

¾Fine. But what about the packaging? The cover of one of the containers was badly damaged. The equipment in this container was damaged a little too.

¾ft wasn't our fault, Victor. The equipment was packed in the required way. You should take this up with the captain of the ship.

¾W e've already done it, John. He believe that your packing is to blame. I must disagree totally with him. Perhaps you should have been firmer in dealing with him.

¾Let's come back to this matter in a couple of days, John. I'll try to discuss it with the ship-owners.

But there is one more problem: the three-week delay in delivery of the equipment. We suffered some losses through this delay. I'd like to remind you that according to the sanctions clause of our contract we have the right to claim compensation.

¾I'm afraid you haven't that right, Victor. This delay was caused by a strike in the Brighton port. We consider this strike to be a force majeure