The European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, will host a major meeting in Brussels focused on safeguarding consumer rights in the digital environment.

The upcoming dialogue will bring together representatives from business associations, consumer organisations, and public consumer protection authorities from across the European Union.

According to the European Commission, participants will explore how to ensure the effective enforcement of consumer protection rules in the digital space, using insights from the 2024 Digital Fairness Fitness Check.

Discussions will focus on core consumer legislation, including the directives on Unfair Commercial Practices, Unfair Contract Terms, Consumer Rights, Price Indication, Digital Content, and the Sale of Goods.

Stakeholders will have the opportunity to share experiences and insights from their respective fields and to offer proposals on how to potentially simplify current legislation and reduce implementation costs.

These proposals aim to ease the regulatory burden while maintaining the EU’s strong consumer protection standards.

The Commission noted that the dialogue will also feed into the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, which is expected to further enhance the Union’s regulatory framework for digital consumer rights.

“This meeting will be an important step in reinforcing trust and fairness for consumers in the digital age,” said an official from the Commission.

“It will help ensure that consumer protection rules are not only fit for purpose but also practical and enforceable across the single market,” they added.

The initiative comes amid growing concern over misleading digital marketing, complex contract terms, and insufficient price transparency in online commerce, particularly as the EU seeks to modernise its legal tools in response to technological changes.

Brussels hopes the dialogue will lead to constructive feedback and consensus-building among key actors across the consumer and digital policy space.