BVL Symposium “Challenges in 2012”
Today consumers are able to purchase goods and services both at home and abroad. But even though there is a largely harmonised European standard for rights supporting the economic protection of consumers in this area, in practice these rights are often breached. But how can we enforce consumer law more extensively and effectively for everybody in our globalised world?
This question will be addressed by this year’s BVL Symposium with its title “Borderless Consumer Protection!? - Effective enforcement, powerful consumers”. Detailed information can be found on the special website with information about the BVL Symposium.
The symposium will take place on 7 November 2011 at the Federal Press Office in Berlin.
| 8.30 – 9.30 | Registration |
| 9.30 – 9.40 | Official opening Dr. Helmut Tschiersky-Schöneburg, President, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) |
| 9.40 – 9.55 | Welcome speech Dr. Christian Grugel, Head of Directorate-General 2 “Consumer Policy”, Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) |
| 1st Session | Enforcing consumer law effectively – nationally and cross-border Moderation: Dr. Christian Thorun, Director, ConPolicy GmbH – Institute for Consumer Policy |
| 9.55 – 10.20 | Enforcing consumer rights effectively – the role of collective enforcement by consumer centres Gerd Billen, Executive Director, Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) |
| 10.20 – 10.45 | European consumer protection cooperation and implementation in Germany Dr. Malek Radeideh, Head of Economic Consumer Protection, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) |
| 10.45 – 11.15 | Coffee break |
| 11.15 – 11.40 | More state influence for the enforcement of consumer law? The path the Netherlands has taken Bernadette van Buchem, Director, Dutch Consumer Authority |
| 11.40 – 12.05 | Is centralised consumer protection more effective? The Belgian model Fernand Van Gansbeke, Director, Belgian Federal Public Service Economy, DG Enforcement & Mediation |
| 12.05 – 12.30 | Steering towards harmonised enforcement of consumer law in Europe? Tamás András Molnár, Head of Unit, European Commission, DG Health and Consumers (SANCO) |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Concluding discussion |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch break |
| 2nd Session | Acting thoroughly – activities to protect consumers Moderation: Bernd Krieger, Director of the European Consumer Centre Germany |
| 14.00 – 14.25 | Consumer protection through dialogue with industry – a Danish experience Henrik Øe, Danish Consumer Ombudsman |
| 14.25 – 14.50 | BaFin and consumer protection using the example of Internet sweeps Michael Sell, Chief Executive Director, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) |
| 14.50 – 15.15 | International cooperation in informal networks Linzi Talbot, International Consumer Lead, Office of Fair Trading, United Kingdom |
| 15.15 – 15.45 | Concluding discussion |
| 15.45 – 16.05 | Conclusion and challenges for the future Prof. Dr. Martin Schmidt-Kessel, Chair for Consumer Law, University of Bayreuth |
| 16.05 – 16.15 | Closing words Dr. Helmut Tschiersky-Schöneburg, President, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) |