CONSUMERS PROTECTION
In ITALY
National Council for Consumers and
Users (CNCU)
CONSUMERS PROTECTION IN ITALY
main acts:
• Sector-specific legislation for UE provisions
adoption
• Consumers Code
(Legislative Decree 06.09.2005 n° 206 , G.U. 08.10. 2005)
Main subject responsible for consumers
protection in Italy:
• General Directorate for Market, Competition,
Consumers, Supervision and Technical Standards
(DGMCCVNT) - Ministry of Economic Development
• National Council of Consumers and Users (CNCU)
• Independent Authorities
• Regions
• Consumers associations
National Council
of Consumers and Users
(CNCU)
• Established by law 30th July 1998 n°281 now implemented by the
Consumer Code
• It is the representative body of the most relevant consumers
associations at national level
• It aims to develop and enforce the consumer role in the market.
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CNCU - organization
The CNCU
• is renewed every 3 years;
• Is chaired by the Minister of economic development or his delegate
and a secretary structure is assured by a Ministry’s division;
• Is composed by the most relevant consumers associations at national
level ( recognized in accordance with art. 137 Consumer Code), and
a representative of Regions and autonomous Provices;
• a representative of environmental associations and a representative
of national cooperatives for consumers participate as permanent hosts
• Other experts are invited when necessary.
CNCU members - 2010/2012
Chairman: Claudio De Vincenti, Undersecretary of State
Associations (18):
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ACU - Associazione Consumatori Utenti
ADICONSUM- Associazione Italiana Difesa Consumatori e Ambiente
ADOC - Associazione per la Difesa e l’Orientamento dei Consumatori,
ADUSBEF – Associazione Difesa Utenti Servizi Bancari, Finanziari, Postali, Assicurativi,
ALTROCONSUMO
ASSOCONSUM
ASSOUTENTI - Associazione Nazionale Utenti dei servizi pubblici
CENTRO TUTELA CONSUMATORI E UTENTI - Verbraucherzentrale Sudtirol,
CITTADINANZATTIVA
CODACONS - Coordinamento di associazioni per la tutela dell’ambiente e dei diritti di utenti
e consumatori
CODICI - Centro per i diritti del cittadino
CONFCONSUMATORI- Confederazione Generale dei Consumatori
FEDERCONSUMATORI – Federazione Nazionale Consumatori e Utenti,
LA CASA DEL CONSUMATORE
LEGA CONSUMATORI
MOVIMENTO CONSUMATORI
MOVIMENTO di DIFESA del CITTADINO
UNIONE NAZIONALE CONSUMATORI
The representative of Regions and autonomous Provinces
The chief responsabilities of the
CNCU
– Expressing opinions, when requested, on outlines for Government bills,
as well as on parliamentary bills and on outlines for regulations regarding
the rights and interests of consumers;
– formulating proposals on the matter of defending consumers, also
related to community programmes and policies;
– promoting studies, research and conferences on consumers issues and
rights, quality control and products and services safety;
– developing informing and educational programmes for consumers;
– encouraging projects aimed at improving the access of consumers to the
legal systems provided for controversies resolution;
– encouraging all forms of link and coordination between national and
regional consumers policies .
– establishing relations with similar public or private bodies in other
countries and within the European Union.
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Advisory tasks: Working Groups
THECNICAL INTERNAL COMMITTEES
Actually there are 14 committees :
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Adr and Justice;
Trade, Price, Rates, e-commerce;
Public Services;
Products Safety;
Credit and Financial services ;
Assurance/Insurance;
Food safety ;
Health;
Transparency and Integrity of Public Administrations;
Partnership with Universities;
UE policies;
Transports ;
Corporate Social Responsibility;
Class Action
These committees meet once a month as average for a total of 100 expert from consumers
associations involved
Advisory tasks: recent Audition
• Authority for Communication (AGCOM)
• Authority for Energy and Gas (AEEG)
• Ministry of economic development on inflation matters
• Italian Union Oil
• Authority for prices surveillance
• UNI – National Standardization Body
• National Institute of Health
Advisory tasks: CNCU at external organizations
CNCU participates with its representatives at the main working tables and committees at
institutional level . Such as:
• 1 representative for consumers at each board of the Banking and Financial Arbitrator
(Roma, Milano e Napoli), an ADR organization established and controlled by the Bank
of Italy;
• 3 representatives at Unioncamere, for surveillance and promotion of fair contract form
• 2 representatives at ECCG, European Consumer Consultative Group;,
• 21 representatives at territorial Observatories on credits and family financial problems
• 1 representative at ANEC ;
• 1 representative at the conciliation chamber of CONSOB
• 1 representative at the Committee for Statistic Information – ISTAT- (CUIS)
• 2 repr. at Ministry of Economic Development – Digital Agenda and e-commerce
• 1 repr. for each main technical committee of the Italian organization for standardization
(UNI)
THE UPDATED LIST IS PUBLISHED ON
www.tuttoconsumatori.org
Advisory and Promotional Task:
CNCU cooperates with other Institutions in order to upgrade the
consumer protection in Italy and to design a harmonized strategy of
action at local and national level.
In this direction are:
 the Memorandum of Understandings with other subjects involved
in consumers protection such as the Authority for Energy and Gas
(AEEG) and the National Standardization Body (UNI);
 The permanent working table CNCU-MINITRY-REGION;
 The annual meeting between Consumers Associations and Italian
Regions, every year a general state of the Italian consumerism is held
write together the agenda for the following year;
 Periodical working tables about inflation and public services
quality
Promotional Tasks: partnership with
Universities
The promotion and especially the growth of consumerism passes
also for the training of professionals: that is why CNCU invests in
life long learning and professional growth of those who work for the
protection of consumers or intend to pursue this path.
The CNCU promotes and supports courses and masters degree on
consumers protection.
These learning projects are carried out directly, with Universities
partnership, or by financing scholarships.
Promotional Tasks: partnership with
Universities – recent learning projects
 Ph.D. degree in "Consumer and Market" of the International Doctoral School in
Law and Economics "Tullio Ascarelli" - University Roma Tre.
 Master's Degree in "Globalization and consumer protection" - University Roma Tre
 Master's degree in "Market, consumption and rights" - University of Bologna.
 Master's degree in "Customer Care and Consumer Protection" - University of
Catania.
 Master's degree in "Business ethics, consumption and social responsibility" University of Siena.
 Patronage of the European Master, sponsored and funded by the European Union, in
"Customer Affair" - University of Bologna, in collaboration with the University of
Barcelona, London, Montpellier and Timisoara.
 English courses at the British Council.
The job offer in consumers affairs has largely absorbed the participants of the Masters,
some have continued his studies, winning a PhD, others have been hired by Independent
Authorities or private companies.
Promotional Tasks: partnership with
Universities - focus
Since 2003, CNCU has organized professional trainings dedicated to
its members associations.
These are full immersion interdisciplinary courses of a week each,
organized in collaboration with the Italian universities who have
focused on research on consumers protection.
494 well-experienced trained so far.
The aim of this project is to create a national network between
research institutions and CNCU.
It is funded by Antitrust fines to businesses for unfair behavior.
The last course was last year on “juridical and economical system of
EU”
Communication, information, consumer
education and media center
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MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS on topics of interest for
consumers
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GUIDE "TUTTOCONSUMATORI", containing information and contacts of the
18 consumers associations plus other institutions responsible for consumers
protection at national and international level.
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WEB SITE : WWW.TUTTOCONSUMATORI.ORG
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ARCHIVE and THEMATIC LIBRARY
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SPECIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION in the specialized magazine “Il
Salvagente”.
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PRESS AGENCY and NEWSLETTERS
For any further information:
cncu@mise.gov.it
www.tuttoconsumatori.org