Consumer protection

This overview is a guide to the content within the Consumer protection (EU Law) subtopic, with links to the appropriate materials. This subtopic examines EU regulations and directives which protect EU consumers and which should be considered in business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships.

Key EU consumer legislation

Prior to contracting or trading with EU consumers, it is important for traders to be aware of the EU legislation that governs B2C relationships. Practice Note: Key EU consumer legislation—summary sets out a brief description of key EU consumer legislation that businesses should consider when dealing with consumers. It covers the core legislation relevant when trading or contracting with consumers within the EU and other key legislation applicable to the B2C relationships in the context of advertising and labelling, data protection, e-commerce, payment, product liability and safety, provision of services, and consumer disputes and enforcement. It also covers sector-specific consumer legislation such as travel and transport. This Practice Note does not cover environmental and life sciences legislation.

To keep up to date with the latest changes in key EU consumer legislation, Practice Note: EU consumer protection—tracker tracks EU commercial legislation

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Latest EU Law News

Commission opens consultations on EU CBAM implementing rules

The European Commission has launched three linked public consultations on implementing rules supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/956 (the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM) Regulation).

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The European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) has published three reports examining the design of an EU-wide purchasing programme for permanent carbon dioxide removals (CDR). This initiative aims to overcome the current lack of demand, which is hindering large-scale adoption. The first report recommends that the programme should not only purchase removal credits but also strategically invest in diverse types of credits to stimulate market growth and technological innovation. It proposes a blend of funding sources including EU budget allocations, Member State contributions and private investment and suggests aligning with existing schemes like the Innovation Fund to enhance efficiency and appeal.

EU Law weekly highlights—28 August 2025

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