Consumer's Telegram December 2025

Insert of n. 93 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The 2030 Consumer Agenda has been presented

The European Commission's new strategic plan for consumer policy for the next five years, the Consumer Agenda 2030, has recently been approved and presented. Although European consumers enjoy a high level of protection, rising living costs, changing market practices and the boom in e-commerce require further adjustments. A strong consumer policy also serves to protect businesses that comply with EU rules from unfair competition. The agenda focuses on four key pillars. Firstly, it aims to complete the single market for consumers, improve digital fairness and online consumer protection, promote sustainable consumption and, finally, improve the effective enforcement of rules and effective remedies. The aim is to counter the effects of the exponential growth of e-commerce and the increase in unsafe and non-compliant products, mainly from third countries, as well as unfair commercial practices by businesses that do not comply with the rules.

DIGITAL SERVICES ACT

Amazon remains classified as a large online platform

The Court of Justice of the European Union recently rejected Amazon's appeal against its classification as a “very large online platform” (“VLOP”). This classification imposes stricter conditions on Amazon, including a recommendation option without profiling, a public advertising archive and access for researchers to certain data. According to Amazon, this violated several fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including in particular freedom to conduct a business, the right to property, the principle of equality before the law, freedom of expression and information, and the right to respect for private life and the protection of confidential information. The Court of Justice took a different view, and the strict obligations associated with classification as a “VLOP” therefore remain in force.

TRAVEL BY PLANE

Pets are considered baggage

A ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union has established that a pet travelling in the hold of an plane falls within the concept of baggage and therefore falls within the liability limits set out in the Montreal Convention. In the specific case, a dog had escaped from its cage during transport to the plane and was never found. The owner had therefore claimed compensation for non-material damage of €5,000 before a Spanish court, which referred the question of whether a pet is considered “baggage” within the meaning of the Montreal Convention to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court has now confirmed this interpretation. The maximum amount of liability of the air carrier for loss of baggage is currently 1,519 SDRs, currently approximately €1,900, and includes both non-material and material damage.

CASE OF THE MONTH
A German consumer had booked a four-night stay in a mobile home at a campsite and paid the full amount in advance. Upon arrival, however, he found ants in the accommodation. He reported the problem and was assigned another mobile home, but the ants were also present there. The consumer left the accommodation that same evening and asked for a full refund, but the company refused. The consumer then sought help from the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Germany, which forwarded the case to the ECC Italy. Thanks to the intervention of the ECC Italy, the company did indeed refund almost 50% of the amount paid as a commercial gesture, emphasising, however, that the limited presence of a few insects in a ground floor accommodation on a campsite located in a pine forest was to be considered normal.