The European Consumer Centre – an independent and nongovernmental entity that will provide assistance in formulating a complaint in order to resolve disputes – will be established in the Republic of Moldova. The entity will also consult consumers about their rights and assist them in out-of-court dispute settlement. The center is to be founded in the framework of a project funded by the European Union and Soros Foundation Moldova, IPN reports.
The project “Consolidation of the Consumer Protection Framework in the Republic of Moldova” is implemented by the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup” as consortium leader, in partnership with the Institute for European Policies and Reforms. According to the executive director of “Expert-Grup” Adrian Lupușor, the European Consumer Center will inform the citizens about European and national legislation regarding consumer rights.
“A very important activity of the project is related to the digitization of the process of submitting petitions from consumers. This digital tool will be an extension of the e-petitions system, which will be developed by the e-Governance Agency. So, we will have an extension of this system for the consumer protection area. That is, we will have a module intended for petitions, which means that every consumer will be able to submit a petition digitally, electronically. They will be able to monitor the status of the petition and see at which institution the petition is examined and, practically, we will create that digital tool that will facilitate the process of submitting and managing petitions, bringing the consumer closer to the state, as regards the protection of rights,” explained Adrian Lupușor.
In addition to extending consumer knowledge, an objective of the project is to increase the capacities of the Government and the competent authorities in the field of consumer rights to enforce legal provisions and ensure the respect for consumer rights. There will also be a campaign to promote consumer rights, including a program of small grants for the media.
In the project presentation event, Deputy Prime Minister Dumitru Alaiba, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization, said that the state institutions have the obligation to ensure consumer rights, be it services, products or goods. “This protects every citizen as a consumer, ensures clear and unique rules for all market players. That’s why it is one of our priorities. Moreover, we are thus getting closer to the European single market, which will bring clear benefits to the economy of the Republic of Moldova,” noted the minister.
The Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova Jānis Mažeiks said that an effective consumer protection policy ensures the correct functioning of the market. In the Republic of Moldova, there are more than 10 institutions covering consumer protection in different sectors. “Capacity building of Moldovan institutions is essential for determining products that do not comply with the law. Therefore, the launched project will help us develop an opportune environment to facilitate the interaction of institutions responsible for consumer protection,” stated the ambassador.
Soros Foundation Moldova executive director Daniela Vidaicu said that the consumer rights sector in the Republic of Moldova is a priority and every person must have access to a market of safe, high-quality, accessible and needs-based products and services. “The project is to be implemented over the next two years to improve the national legal and institutional mechanisms regarding the protection and promotion of consumer rights,” stated Daniela Vidaicu.
