Commenting on the proposed Digital Fairness Act, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “The Digital Fairness Act risks adding new burdens to an already crowded EU rulebook”
“The Digital Fairness Act should make the existing framework more coherent, predictable and effective. Instead, it risks introducing unnecessary obligations and overlapping requirements that undermine legal certainty and run counter to the EU’s simplification agenda. The Commission must first determine where genuine gaps in consumer protection exist and why stronger enforcement of current rules cannot address them. Any new obligations must be evidence-based and proportionate.
We have serious concerns about the proposed new rules shifting the burden of proof. They risk reversing the fundamental principle that claimants must prove their case and opening the door to costly, inefficient US-style discovery procedures in the EU.
Our call for an immediate moratorium on new regulatory burdens remains clear. Consumer protection needs coherent rules and effective enforcement, but more regulation does not automatically mean better protection.”
Commenting on the proposed revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, Beyrer said: “Stronger enforcement power must go hand in hand with accountability”
“We support the revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation as an opportunity to strengthen cross-border enforcement and improve coordination between national enforcement authorities. Rogue traders are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to evade the rules, harming consumers and undercutting responsible businesses. It is also important to step up enforcement to ensure a level playing field for all businesses operating in the EU’s Single Market.
At the same time, with greater power comes greater responsibility. Any new centralised enforcement powers granted to the Commission must be matched by clear accountability, transparency and robust procedural safeguards to ensure due process.”
