Consumer Agency

Consumer law is naturally inclined toward networks. Basic monitoring and project-based work both depend on cooperation between domestic and foreign authorities and between the entrepreneurial sector and consumer organisations.

Cooperation is important because decisions that affect the standing of consumers are made in many different administrative sectors. Interaction among administrative sectors has increased since the consumer articles of the Treaty on European Union were ratified in the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; under the treaty, the interests of consumers must be taken into account horizontally throughout the Community's activities.

Network to combat fraud

The purpose of this network is to enhance information exchange and cooperation among entities working on fraud. The network can also be used to find out how extensive problems are so that consumers can be warned of new developments in a timely way. Founded by the Finnish Consumer Agency, the network includes the Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA, European Consumer Centre, Federation of Finnish Financial Services, National Bureau of Investigation, Kuluttajat-Konsumenterna consumers' organisation, National Agency for Medicines, Finnish Financial Supervision Authority, administrative unit for lotteries and firearms of the Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior, Finnish Consumers' Association, Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, Insurance Supervisory Authority and Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority. The card payment service company Luottokunta and the Finnish Postal Service are also included because they have a central role in electronic payment transmission and product transport.

Cooperation among EU supervisory authorities

Cooperation is governed by the EU Regulation on Consumer Protection Cooperation and coordinated by the European Commission. The Member States must enter any legal violations they have found into a shared database and offer assistance to supervisory authorities in other countries in cases where a company is operating in more than one country. The Finnish Consumer Agency is the contact for Finland and coordinates cooperation among the Finnish supervisory authorities. The Directives for which compliance is monitored collaboratively are listed in the section describing the Consumer Ombudsman's jurisdiction.

ICPEN

The International Consumer Protection & Enforcement Network is an organisation of authorities that supervise marketing, with members from 36 countries. The network conducts on-the-ground, collaborative projects especially to supervise cross-border trade. ICPEN's regular activities include

• the databank www.econsumer.gov, where consumers can report e-commerce fraud and authorities can collect information about fraud attempts being made in numerous countries
• Sweep Day surveillance campaigns that check for legal compliance of websites in the member countries
• the Best Practices working group, which organizes annual meetings with training to promote effective surveillance methods
• the ScamWatch working group, which is developing an alert system for rapid information exchange among authorities of different countries

The Consumer Ombudsman is a member of ICPEN, and Finland held the Presidency of the organisation in 2003–2004.

OECD Committee on Consumer Policy

Anja Peltonen, Director of the Finnish Consumer Agency, is a Committee member and the Executive Vice Chair. Consumer Agency experts participate in the Committee's working groups. The Committee drafts reports and recommendations, particularly on cross-border trade issues, in order to enhance consumer confidence and the smooth functioning of international commerce. The newest reports and recommendations can be found on the Committee's website. (link)

Nordic cooperation

The Consumer Ombudsmen of the Nordic countries meet twice a year to discuss cooperation. Forms of cooperation include joint surveillance projects, reports, and recommendations.

There is also a collaborative consumer law group associated with the Nordic Council of Ministers that writes and orders reports.