Consumers' Associations

Consumers' Associations are created to protect the rights and the interests of consumers and users.
The sectors in which such associations operate are varied: utilities, tourism, insurance, banks, public, health and social services.
In many countries these associations are legally recognised entities by ad hoc laws that determine their remits.
Organism that group such associations at European level include the BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs) and the Associazione Europea dei Consumatori (AEC).

The BEUC was founded in 1962 by organisations in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany, and represent their members in the choices and decisions taken by the EU affecting their areas.

The AEC, which is based in Brussels, brings together 30 European organisations and has among its aims that of proposing norms for the protection of consumers' rights at a European level.
In Italy, Law N° 281 of 30 July 1998 which governs at an institutional level the actions of Consumer Associations and admits applications to join the CNCU (Consiglio Nazionale dei Consumatori Utenti) on the basis of a set of requisites.
Also Associations that do not fully comply with such requisites, but nevertheless are active across the country, are recognised and regulated by local and regional legislation. Finally, with the Legislative Decree N° 206 of 06/09/2005, a Consumers'Code was drawn up, absorbing the EU directives, as well as laws and norms previously issued in Italy, ensuring harmonisation and clarity at a national level.