Text 11. 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 in 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, 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 former name of European Union) adopt­ed its first consumer program 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 the safety of cosmetic products, the labeling of foodstuff, misleading advertising, consumer rights in door-step selling, product liability and the provision of consumer credit.

In addition to its program 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),

- The European Interregional Institute for Consumer Affairs (EIICA)

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 lowest 52.5 % 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 program 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).

EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Answer the questions.

1. What are five main principles of EU policy of consumer protection?

2. What are five major EU-wide organizations with consumer interests?

3. What organizations are involved in this process?

4. When was the first consumer program adopted?

5. What is the 'consumption' structure in Great Britain?

6. What kind of legislative program is mentioned in the text?

Exercise 2. Say, what each percentage means.

64 %, 70.3 %, 52.5 %, 63.4 %, 20 %, 37.8 %, 16.6 %, 21.5 %, 17.2 %,

27.8 %, 10.3 %, 18.5 %, 4.3 %, 10.5 %, 9,7%.

Exercise 3. Подчеркните придаточные предложения. Выделите из них обстоятельственные, определительные и именные.

1. When they send e-mail messages, they only have to pay for their phone calls to their local service providers.

2. If people see that they can make money from the Internet, com­mercial use of this network will increase,

3. If you raise no objection, I think you agree to what I suggest.

4. All employees who have worked for our firm five or more years are entitled to four personal days a year.

5. You should bring the floppy discs which we need for the analysis of our data.

6. John stood where she had left him.

7. All the information that you need is in this report.

Exercise 4. Insert the correct word:

who, that, which, when, where, whose, whom.

Example: Let me see the man … (whom) I am so much obliged to.

1. Is there anybody here … can introduce me to the President of the company?

2. Jorge Lopez. I seem to remember that name. Isn't he the man … we owe the check to?

3. We are prepared to reduce the price of the toothpaste … is approaching its sell-by date.

4. They take on extra staff at Easter. That's the time of the year … they are at their busiest.

5. I'm talking about the advertisement … appeared in the “Times” of March 26.

6. I'm looking for the person … coat's lying on my desk.

7. We are searching for a place … we can have a new office.

8. Do you remember that restaurant in Paris … we had such a good time.

Exercise 5. Match the English expressions with their Russian equivalents.

A. Letter of complaint:

1. We would like (have) to remind you that ...

2. We wish to draw your attention to the fact that...

3. We are disappointed to find that the quality of the equipment (goods) you supplied does not meet (comply with, satisfy, match) the requirements of...

4. To prove our statement we enclose (are enclosing) ...

5. The delay in delivery is causing us great inconvenience, as...

6. We find it necessary to note...

7. We are returning... and would ask you to replace...

8. So far we have received no reply...

9. Four containers in the consignment were found to be damaged.

10. We duly informed you about the breakdown of the equipment.

11. At present your failure to deliver the goods greatly worries us.

12. When we installed the equipment, we found that it was faulty.

13. When we examined the goods, it turned out that ...

A. К сожалению, мы обнаружили, что оборудование (товары), которые вы поставили нам, не удовлетворяют требованиям ...

B. Когда мы установили оборудование, то обнаружили, что оно не работает.

C. Мы должным образом проинформировали Вас о выходе из строя оборудования.

D. После осмотра товара оказалось, что ...

E. Считаем необходимым отметить ...

F. Мы хотели бы (вынуждены) напомнить Вам, что ...

G. В настоящее время мы крайне обеспокоены тем, что вы не можете поставить товар.

H. В подтверждение нашего заявления мы прилагаем ...

I. Возвращаем вам ... и просим заменить ...

J. Мы хотим обратить Ваше внимание на тот факт, что ...

K. До сих пор мы не получили ответа...

L. Четыре контейнера в партии оказались поврежденными.

M. Задержка в поставке приводит к большим неудобствам, поскольку ...

B. Answering a Complaint:

1. We have carefully studied your claims ...

2. You were right to let us know about...

3. You are perfectly correct in saying that...

4. After investigating your complaint, we have to admit that...

5. We can assure you that...

6. Steps are being taken immediately to avoid such mistakes in the future.

7. Please accept our apologies for...

8. We apologize for...

9. A replacement for the substandard goods will be delivered next week.

10. We would ask you to return the faulty equipment at your convenience, carriage forward.

11. May we remind you, however, that...

12. However we hope you also try to see our point of view.

13. We regret that we cannot exchange... since...

14. We regret to inform you that we cannot accept your claim because of...

15. We would like to inform you that the delay in delivery occurred through no fault of ours.

16. It is not our fault that...

17. Needless to say that both our companies suffered unnecessary losses that hopefully will be avoided in the future.

A. К сожалению вынуждены сообщить, что мы не можем принять Вашу претензию, поскольку ...

B. Нет необходимости говорить о том, что обе наши компании понесли напрасные убытки, которых мы надеемся избежать в будущем.

C. Мы немедленно примем меры для того, чтобы избежать подобных ошибок в будущем.

D. Мы внимательно изучили Ваши претензии ...

E. Просим вас возвратить нам бракованное оборудование в удобное для вас время, без оплаты перевозки.

F. Это не наша вина, что ...

G. Правильно сделали, что сообщили нам о ...

H. Мы бы хотели сообщить Вам, что задержка в поставке произошла не по нашей вине.

I. Примите наши извинения за ...

J. Однако нам хотелось бы изложить также свою точку зрения.

K. После изучения Вашей жалобы мы вынуждены признать, что ...

L. К сожалению мы не можем заменить ..., поскольку ...

M. Вы совершенно правы в том, что ...

N. Замена недоброкачественному товару будет поставлена на следующей неделе.

O. В тоже время, мы хотели бы напомнить Вам, что ...

P. Можем заверить Вас в том, что ...

Q. Просим прощения за ...