EU: Council Resolution discussions continue

The Council working group on consumer affairs has been unable to reach a conclusion on the draft Council resolution on the consumer in the information society, and discussions will continue this week in COREPER. Most MS still appear to favour a text that includes a clear statement that “consumers should be able to rely, in the case of transborder transactions effected by means of information technologies, on the protection afforded by the legislation of their country of habitual residence…” If this text, or wording similar to it, is adopted, the direct marketing and e-commerce industries could be forced to limit their offers to consumers in their own MS only.