• EU priorities in consumer education
• Europa diary
• Consumer information and education
• European Master courses in consumer affairs

The economic and technological developments of recent years have shown the need for consumer information and education at European level.

Consumer information only is not enough. To be effective, it must go hand-in-hand with consumer education of skills, attitudes, and knowledge to help consumers look for, understand and apply consumer information.

EU priorities in consumer education

• Stimulate consumer education in schools and the integration of consumer skills in school curricula together with DG Education & Culture;
• Make available on-line consumer information and education materials in all EU countries;
• Promote university-level studies in consumer policy.

Europa Diary

The Europa Diary is for secondary school students to use as a tool for homework and school notes. The Diary also offers pages of information on health and consumer protection, studying abroad, the environment.

The Europa Diary and its teacher's guide are distributed to schools for free upon teachers' request.

Europa Diary 2011/2012

All print copies of the 2011/2012 Europa Diary have been distributed to the schools that ordered them. Students received them at the start of the school year. The new edition includes the main public and religious holidays celebrated in each EU country.

What's next?

DG Health & Consumers is evaluating the relevance, effectiveness and cost efficiency of the Europa Diary and other consumer education initiatives, and reflecting on how to improve them.

This site will shortly feature the on-line version of the Europa Diary texts and teaching materials.

Report of the evaluation of consumer education, information and capacity-building

The goal of the evaluation, begun in March 2011, was to increase the impact of DG Health & Consumers' work on consumer empowerment, and inform decision-making on the allocation of resources.

• Final report

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Consumer information and education

Dolceta is an on-line consumer education tool for EU trainers, teachers and informed consumers. It is adapted to national contexts and exists in all EU languages covering:

• Consumer rights
• Services - energy, telecommunications, water, post, transport;
• Product safety;
• Sustainable consumption;
• Financial services;
• Teachers' materials on these issues and lesson plans, quizzes, fact sheets.

The content and design of the www.dolceta.eu site will be revamped.

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European Master courses in consumer affairs

The Commission co-funded 3 European Master courses in consumer policy from 2008 - 2011.

• European Master Programme in Consumer Affairs coordinated by the Technical University of Munich(DE)
• Partners:
  • Aarhus University (DK)
  • Wageningen University (NL)
  • Warsaw University of Life Sciences (PL)
• Master Européen en Management des Relations Consommateurs coordinated by University of Haute Alsace (FR)
• Partners:
  • Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest (RO)
  • Karol Adamiecki University of Economics (PL)
• European Master in Consumer Affairs coordinated by IL3-University of Barcelona (ES)
• Partners:
  • University of Bologna (IT)
  • Université de Montpellier (FR)
  • Brunel University (UK)
  • University of West Timisoara (RO)

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