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To read this text in German, please click here
Consumers on the European stage
BEUC was created on 6 March 1962 by the consumer organisations of Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. After working together for a number of years, these organisations decided to create a European association, based in Brussels.
BEUC was a pioneer, one of the first lobbying organisations to set up base in the European capital in a bid to influence the decision-making process. Many others followed, and the number of lobbyists rose exponentially to the present -day figure of over 15,000.
The intense pressure brought to bear on decision -makers from this multitude of “lobbyists” working on behalf of commercial interests, regional representations, trade unions and many others, highlights the need for BEUC to have a strong presence on the Brussels scene. To do this, we receive funding from our members, a grant from the European Union and participate in specific projects.
This enables BEUC to continue the task we have been pursuing for more than 45 years, of promoting consumers rights. These are the rights to:
BEUC’s strength: our members
Just like the EU itself, BEUC’s membership has grown, and our members include more than 40 well respected, independent national consumer organisations from some thirty European countries (EU, EEA and applicant countries). BEUC acts as the umbrella group in Brussels for these organisations and our main task is to represent our members and defend the interests of all Europe’s consumers.
BEUC is acknowledged as a trustworthy representative by both decision-makers and opponents alike, thanks in particular to the collective skills, knowledge and expertise of our member organisations. Indeed it is they who decide on BEUC’s priorities and objectives at our twice-yearly General Assemblies. BEUC is fortunate to benefit directly from their experience and day-to-day contact with consumers at grass roots level. What is more, anyone dealing with BEUC can be sure that the position we present has received the backing of the most representative national consumer organisations. Through BEUC, these organisations are able to speak out with one voice.
Our partners, with whom we cooperate on specific policy issues in a particular sector bring an added value to BEUC’s work, for example by way of expertise, research data or political weight. Temporary affiliates allow us to work with organisations which may be new to the EU or the consumer movement, to allow them to build-up their capacity and know-how.
BEUC supports the empowerment of consumers through competitive markets, but complemented by health and safety safeguards. Only safe products and services, which do not put at risk our health, future generations or the environment, should be available on the EU market. Where consumers cannot be empowered, regulatory measures must protect their economic and legal interests. This is especially essential for vulnerable consumers. We work to ensure that consumer policy at EU level is sustainable for all; “sustainability” not only meaning respect and protection of the environment, including climate change, but also reduction of negative social and economic impacts, while improving well-being for all, without compromising the needs of our children’s grand- children… This means that vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and lowincome consumers, are taken into account when designing policy.
The concept of sustainability underpins all our campaigns and is also reflected in the day-to-day running of the Secretariat.
BEUC seen from the inside
BEUC investigates EU decisions and developments likely to affect consumers, with a special focus on eight areas identified as priorities by our members:
Energy & Sustainability
Financial Services
Food
Health
Safety
Consumer Contracts
Digital Environment
Group Action
To cope with these challenges the Secretariat has a staff of around 35, organized around a management department, a communications department, a training department, and four policy departments : legal & economic affairs, food, health, safety & environment.
A large part of the work within the Secretariat is interdepartmental: BEUC’s 8 focus areas are managed by multi-disciplinary teams. The Secretariat policy experts in charge develop positions, in close collaboration with experts from our member organisations. It is these positions that form the basis of BEUC campaigns.
The communications department completes the picture by drawing up communication strategies to fully exploit the information produced by our experts through publications, the organisation of events, running BEUC’s internal and external communication tools, and liaising with the European press.
On the side of the institutions
In addition to pure lobbying activities, BEUC also formally represents consumers within the decision-making process. BEUC has a seat on the European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG) and experts from our member organisations participate in various European Commission advisory groups, such as the Agriculture DG’s agricultural advisory groups or the Internal Market DG’s Payment Systems Market Expert Group (PSMEG). Outside Europe, BEUC is an associate member of the international consumer organisation, Consumers International (CI). BEUC also plays an active role in the TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), which is designed to promote contacts and exchanges with our colleagues in the US. Our aim, in close collaboration with Consumers International, is to ensure consumer concerns are taken into account also at global level.
EU Lobby Register
To ensure that the European Union is “open to public scrutiny”, the European Commission, in the context of the European Transparency Initiative, created in 2008 an online register for interest representatives. Companies, business associations, consultancies as well as civil society organisations that engage in “activities carried out with the objective of influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes of the European institutions” are encouraged to sign up. BEUC has subscribed to this EU lobby register.
European Parliament Lobby Register
BEUC is registered to the European Parliament lobby register. The European Parliament has numerous contacts with lobby groups, which have led it to adopt an associated code of conduct. The Quaestors are responsible for issuing individual named passes valid for a maximum of one year to people who wish to enter Parliament frequently to provide MEPs with information relating to their parliamentary duties, in their own interests or those of third parties.
Why the name?
A lot of people ask the same question! First of all, they’re not clear what BEUC means (French name: Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs). Secondly, everyone pronounces it differently and it doesn’t exactly have a pleasant ring in any European language. People often ask us whether it wouldn’t be better to change the name… But, as an organisation of long repute, keeping our original name makes us instantly recognisable, so perhaps it’s not a good idea to change a winning formula. Instead, we tend to introduce ourselves as “BEUC, the European Consumers’ Organisation”. As for pronunciation, let’s just say it’s a question of consumer choice!
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