Consumer

23
Aug

Beginning Thursday, travelers flying out of Israel are likelier to have a better chance of taking off on time – otherwise, the airline they are flying on will have to compensate them, or perhaps even give them a refund or pay them for the waiting time. The new sanctions on airlines are part of the Airline Passenger Rights law, which comes into effect Thursday. The law applies to scheduled airline flights as well as charter flights, and was prompted after scenes several summers ago of Israelis stuck in Ben Gurion Airport for hours or even days as they waited for their charter companies to fill flights or negotiate better deals with the carriers they were renting planes from. It applies to all flights leaving Israel, including flights by foreign carriers, as well as layovers. Airlines or charter operators that fail to comply will be subject to stiff penalties, and could be banned from using Ben Gurion Airport altogether. Passengers will be compensated with food and drink, cash, or a full refund, depending on how many hours their flight was delayed. If a flight is delayed up to five hours, airlines must provide food and drink for passengers, and provide them with money ...

09
Aug

The Commission has invited all interested parties to provide their views on this matter by 5 November 2012 The European Commission has launched this public consultation in order to collect factual evidence of the direct tax problems that arise when venture capital is invested across borders. In this respect the Commission needs not only to collect factual evidence of the problems, but also to find out why the problems arose, the Member States involved, the amount of money involved and the costs to investors, Member States and the EU's SMEs. Once the Commission has collected this evidence, it will be able to estimate the size of the problem and decide whether there is a need for EU solutions. ec.europa.eu

14
Jul

An EU-wide right for consumers to change their minds about a purchase made on line within two weeks after having received the good, new requirements that compel on-line traders to provide the consumer with exact information on the total price, the goods ordered and the contact details of the trader, are among the benefits of the new Consumer Rights Directive. The new rules aim to strengthen protection for online buyers so as to boost consumer confidence and cross-border on-line trade.   In 2010, 40% of EU consumers bought online goods and services over the internet in compared to 26% in 2006, making the internet the most frequently-used distance-selling medium today. However, only 7% of internet users have placed cross-border orders within the EU.   Concerns about late or non-delivery of goods, as well as the patchwork fragmentation of Member States' consumer protection rules, are holding consumers back from cross-border online shopping. Businesses, too, cite legislative differences among Member States as the main reason for not selling across borders.   After two and half years of tough negotiations, Parliament's negotiating team, led by MEP Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), managed to broker a well-balanced agreement with the Council to ensure clear and common rules on consumer rights across ...