Consumers are directly affected by many EU policies such as the internal market, enterprise, environment, financial services, transport, competition, energy and trade. Progress has been made in the integration of consumer interests notably in product safety, transport, telecommunications, energy, and competition. The aim for the future is to build on these achievements in order to make integration of consumer interests more systematic.

There are two main issues to be addressed. In first place, while liberalisation of essential services has delivered considerable benefits for most consumers, safeguards will continue to be needed for the few for who markets do not work. Affordable access to essential services for all is both essential for a modern and flexible economy but also for social inclusion. Showing that no consumer is left behind will also help to sustain political support for measures on essential services. Secondly, measures at EU level also require a greater emphasis on the monitoring of key consumer markets to ensure positive outcomes for consumers. Finally, essential services also need stronger guarantees of market transparency and better complaint and redress mechanisms.

The Single Market review has called for further action on retail financial services. The Commission's recent sector inquiry also found that retail banking markets remain fragmented and competition barriers persist. The Commission will adopt a Green Paper on retail financial services and a White paper on mortgage credit. The Commission will analyse obstacles that consumers encounter when opening, closing or switching bank accounts and will tackle competition problems in the retail banking sector.

The Commission’s objective is to make sure that Services of General Interest (SGI) policy goes hand in hand with appropriate measures for consumers. It will also see to it that where appropriate, universal service at EU and Member State level is safeguarded. The Commission will address the issue of horizontal consumer rights applying in all SGIs in its forthcoming Communication on Services of General Interest. It will also continue to empower and protect consumers in sectoral SGI legislation.

The Commission will build on passenger rights developed in the aviation sector in other transport modes, in particular for passengers with reduced mobility. It will also adopt an energy customers' charter.

The Commission will develop better coordination of the concerns and priorities of the different relevant policies concerned with consumer non-food safety (e.g. consumer, health, enterprise and industry, environment, transport) and security (e.g. air transport). With the European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG), the Commission will continue to ensure consumer participation in all relevant policy groups and in principle, consumer attendance at all such groups will be reimbursed by each policy area. The Commission will also examine how to better involve consumer policy stakeholders more actively in consultations organised by other EU policies on proposals with a major effect on consumers. Each Commission department with a significant consumer interest will appoint a consumer liaison officer, as pioneered by the Department for Competition, in order to liaise with consumer stakeholders and ensure each policy area gathers the necessary evidence to monitor the impact of its policies on consumers.

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