Consumer Protection : Germany
They concern such matters as the labeling of foodstuffs, strict criteria for pharmaceutical products, the tolerability of detergents, and price tags on goods in shop windows. The Association of Consumers’ Unions and the consumer centers jointly publish brochures, leaflets and other advisory material on all subjects of relevance to consumers. As the countries of the European Union grow closer together, legislative initiative in the area of consumer protection is also increasingly shifting to the European Union. The Union issues directives which must be converted into national law in the member states. The European Commission has a Consumers’ Consultative Council composed of 20 members. The most important consumer organization at the European level is the European Bureau of Consumers’ Unions (BEUC), which represents 30 national consumer organizations.