english 
deutsch 
italiano
Consumer's Telegramm European Edition
If you wish to be informed monthly about European consumer news, just subscribe our free newsletter.Consumer's Telegram May 2008
Insert of n. 35 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)PPRODUCT SAFETY
RAPEX - Annual Report Published
Recently the European Commission has published the annual report of the European quick warning system for dangerous products RAPEX. It shows that the number of products taken from the market because of safety risks has increased by 53%.The difference of the number of warning reports brought in by the single Member States was considerably reduced. The most active state of the RAPEX community was Germany with 163 reports (that is about 12%), followed by Greece (115 reports) and Slovakia (114 reports) 8% each, Hungary with 109 reports and Spain with 108.
There were a total of 1605 warning reports. The majority of them referred to the category of toys, followed by motor vehicles, electronic articles and cosmetics. Again China was the country where most of the dangerous products derived from (700 reports).
Since last year, the European Commission has considerably intensified its collaboration with China regarding product safety. Thus, after an official visit of Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva in China in June 2007 there could be created a new system of quarterly reports about investigation and measures in favour of product safety by the Chinese authorities.
For 2008, the commissioner has announced also a more intensive exchange of information and a trilateral Conference (EU, USA and China) about product safety in November 2008 in Brussels.
AIR TRAVEL
Within easy reach even over the clouds
In future it will be possible to telephone by mobile and send or receive messages on flights within the EU. The European Commission has established regulations for using the mobile phone on the aeroplane.In order to be able to use mobile phones in flight it is necessary to install on board a basic network which is connected via satellite to a network station on earth. In this way, the single mobile phones will not directly connect with the terrestrial mobile network. So, the transmission powers can be kept at such a low level that they do disturb neither the safety of the plane equipment nor the normal function of the mobile networks on earth. The EU commissioner for telecommunication Viviane Reding says: "Now we are expecting a transparent and innovative pricing by the operating authorities. Mobile communication on the plane can be a very interesting new service, especially for travelling business people who ought to be always and everywhere obtainable. However, in order to be successful, the consumers must not be asked to pay too high prices."
Moreover, the commissioner asks the airlines as well as the mobile communication operators to care for appropriate conditions so that other passengers will not be disturbed by the use of mobile services.
FOREIGN LOTTERIES
Purchase of foreign Lottery Tickets is still illegal
The European Consumer Centre of Bolzano has recently had to deal with quite a few requests of consumers who had been contacted on the phone or by a letter and offered foreign lottery tickets. Even if those companies claim the opposite, it is still illegal to sell and buy foreign lottery tickets in Italy. There are also fines, although the respective laws seem a little bit old-fashioned, dating back to the year 1938 and originating from a royal decree. Our advice is therefore: If you get a letter from a foreign lottery company you should throw it away as soon as possible. |
|
| software by endo7 |    |
ECC
via Brennero 3
I - 39100 Bolzano
tel.: ++39 0471 980939
fax: ++39 0471 980239