{"id":3717,"date":"2023-12-27T14:12:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T14:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecc.lt\/ecc-net\/"},"modified":"2024-03-18T11:40:35","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T11:40:35","slug":"ecc-net","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ecc.lt\/en\/ecc-net\/","title":{"rendered":"ECC-Net"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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About ECC-Net<\/h2>\nFree, personalised help for consumers having problems with cross-border purchases in the EU, Iceland or Norway and the UK.\n\nThe European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) comprises 30 centres in all 27\u00a0EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and the UK. These centres offer free and personalised information, advice and assistance to consumers having problems with cross-border transactions in another country within the network.\n\nThe network helps citizens to ensure that their consumer rights are respected and to reap the benefits of the Single Market.\n

Our history<\/h2>\n10 years of engagement for better consumer protection across bordersThe ECC-Net is born from the merger of the Extrajudicial Settlement of Consumer Disputes (EEJ-Net) and European Consumer Infocentres (Euroguichet) networks. It is an example of the collaboration between the national and EU levels, as ECCs are hosted by public bodies or non-profit organisations in the Member States, Iceland and Norway and co-financed by the European Union.\n\nECC-Net has grown in size over this first decade. Since 2005, at the pace of EU enlargement, three new ECCs have been created: in Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, and in Croatia in 2013.\n\nBut from the outset, ECC-Net\u2019s mission has been very clear: increase trust in cross-border shopping, and therefore help consumers to reap the full benefits of the Single Market. That meant cutting through the complexity of EU consumers\u2019 rights in cross-border transactions, and anticipate emerging trends.\n\nSince 2005, the reality of the European consumers has dramatically evolved, and so have the expectations of European consumers. The annual number of information and assistance requests handled by ECC-Net rose from 43 000 in 2005 to over 80 000 at the end of 2013. The dominant factor for this increase is e-Commerce, as it nowadays represents over 60% of all complaints \u2013 and is expected to grow further.\n\nFind out more:\u00a0\u00a0the 10th anniversary Annual<\/a>\n

Our mission<\/h2>\nIncreasing trust in EU cross-border commerceThe mission of the European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) is to provide free help and advice for consumers across the EU, Norway and Iceland, for those having problems with cross-border purchases.\n\nFundamentally we contribute to enabling consumers to better understand and assert their rights as European citizens, and make the most of Europe’s Internal Market.\n\nOur mission is to make sure that cross-border commercial legislation is properly understood and respected. As such, it is a two-way process, as we also aim at increasing awareness of consumer rights among traders too. In practical terms, we help them to ensure that their products, services and practices meet all legal requirements when dealing with foreign consumers.\n\nIn the case of disputes between consumers and traders, ECC-Net aims at finding compromises and establish relationships based on trust, equal treatment, transparency and confidentiality.\n\nAs a network of 30 national Centres, ECC-Net endeavours to ensure effective communication and working relationships between the Centres. Each Centre aims at continuously improving the quality of the services, and increasing visibility individually as much as collectively \u2013 being a united, co-working network.\n\nECC-Net has an additional role, which is that of supporting the improvement of policies and legislations. To that end the Centres collaborate with EU- and national-level authorities by identifying critical consumer rights issues, and anticipating necessary evolutions of the legislative processes. In this way, ECC-Net contributes to strengthening national and EU legal frameworks and implementation of consumer law.\n

Our values<\/h2>\nWorking professionally to reach amicable solutions while ensuring transparency, impartiality and confidentiality for consumers and traders\n\nCustomer-focused<\/b>\n\nWe do our best to make sure that consumers receive the adequate information, advice or assistance. We put them at the centre of our operations as we actively strive to anticipate their needs and deliver the most accurate information or services.\n\nProfessional<\/b>\n\nWe provide clear and accurate information. We are committed to responding quickly to requests, and to direct consumers to the right interlocutors. As individual Centres and as a Network, we relentlessly seek ways to improve the quality of our services.\n\nTransparent<\/b>\n\nWe always make clear to consumers or traders what can and what cannot be done. We are fully transparent about our processes when analysing cases and providing recommendations. In all cases, we provide complete legal justification.\n\nImpartial<\/b>\n\nThis is a matter of fairness and credibility: we do not take sides. We seek to establish truth about the legislation, how to understand it, and how to find a compromise which is fair and acceptable for both parties.\n\nConfidential<\/b>\n\nWe make sure to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all data and communications.\n

What ECC-Net can do for you<\/h2>\nHelp and Advice for cross-border issues in the EU, Iceland and Norway.\n\nOur mandate is to deliver free information, advice and assistance on cross-border shopping in the EU, Iceland and Norway.We can:\n\n