New Year comes bearing benefits for consumers. As of January 1st, consumers surfing the web for their home appliances and electronics will be able to better compare the energy efficiency of these products. Following existing obligations for sales in shops, the well-known energy label will need to accompany products bought online.

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On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December), ANEC welcomes the publication of a new version of Guide 71 Guide for addressing accessibility in standards by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to which we contributed. We also welcome that the three International organisations, together with their European (CEN/CENELEC/ETSI) and national counterparts, have dedicated this week to promote the role of standards in increasing accessibility.

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Organised consumer participation in standardisation is essential

On the eve of World Standards Day (14 October), ANEC members held their 25th General Assembly to consider the state of consumer participation in standardisation.

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As of yesterday, vacuum cleaners have to meet EU-wide energy and performance requirements. Consumers buying a vacuum cleaner will also receive labelling information on efficiency, energy use and performance. Stricter wattage requirements will reduce the energy use.

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ANEC welcomes the adoption of European standards on the procedures and logo for the protection of consumers personal data when Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) chips are used. “ANEC believes consumers should be informed of the presence of the RFID tag by a clearly understandable sign”, said ANEC Secretary-General, Stephen Russell.

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Today, ANEC issues an updated position on achieving a strategy to address chemicals in products comprehensively. Our paper explores how current regulatory requirements can be enhanced and outlines a programme for key consumer product areas.

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For many European voters, the question is which party to vote for. But for others, it is how to vote. From 22 to 25 May 2014, millions of citizens will have the chance to vote in the elections to the European Parliament. Most will be able to cast their votes without problem. But others will experience barriers because of older age or disability. And they constitute more than 10% of voters. ANEC believes all those entitled to vote should be able to do so. And in secret. Modern solutions and standards should be used to help everyone exercise democratic choice. Democracy must come first!

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ANEC welcomes yesterday’s decision of the European Parliament to improve consumer safety and product compliance in the Internal Market by approving the new Consumer Product Safety Regulation (CPSR) and Market Surveillance Regulation (MSR).

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ANEC welcomes the adoption of the Worldwide Harmonised Light-duty Test Procedures (WLTP), agreed yesterday by UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP 29) in Geneva.

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ANEC welcomes today’s decision of the European Parliament to make the interoperability of mobile phones and other devices with universal chargers an essential requirement of the radio equipment directive (RED), a decision in line with our position . The European Commission will determine which categories of products should fall under this obligation.

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ANEC welcomes todays’ European Parliament vote for a Directive on the Accessibility of Public Sector Bodies’ Websites which will ensure access to on-line public services to all consumers, whatever their ages and abilities. The Parliament’s report brought significant improvements to the original Commission’s proposal in terms of public web-sites covered and increased enforcement provisions as well as inclusion of access from a handheld mobile device and mobile applications, in line with ANEC’s requests.

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ANEC welcomes today’s publication of tougher European standards for window blinds as a move towards reducing accidents involving children.

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ANEC welcomes adoption yesterday of legislation on the safety of electrical equipment (such as washing machines and cookers) by the plenary of the European Parliament.

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ANEC welcomes adoption of a series of European standards on accessibility requirements for the public procurement of ICT products and services . The standards were drafted by CEN/CENELEC/ETSI with the participation of industrial and societal stakeholders, including ANEC, in answer to a request from the European Commission. The functional accessibility requirements for the procurement of products and services in the ICT domain, such as web-sites, will harmonise e-accessibility in the Internal Market and benefit consumers with disabilities and older consumers.

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ANEC critical of tourism services within Europe

Travelling within Europe is not always easy, according to research published today by ANEC. In our survey of almost 6000 consumers, more than a quarter reported having problems when using cross-border tourism services within Europe. Car rental was seen as the most problematic area with almost one-quarter of users reporting a negative experience. People travelling by plane and train, and going on package holidays, also experienced a high level of problems, despite EU regulation in these areas.

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ANEC, ECOS & ETUI welcome CEN-CENELEC’s initiative to create an online Toolbox for Societal Stakeholders. We feel that this is a vital step towards fully integrating all stakeholders including civil societal ones in the European standardisation process, and we celebrate its launch. We hope that National Standards Bodies will continue to develop these tools and implement country-specific toolboxes to facilitate involvement at national level, where societal input is equally beneficial.

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