Consumer Committee reports on Year 2000 computer problem
A report prepared by the Consumer Committee, a consultative committee of the European Commission, on the Year 2000 computer problem has recently been adopted. The working group which prepared the report was established by the Committee in February 1998, with a remit to investigate to what extent consumers will be affected by the technical problems related to millennium change. The report covers all aspects of the problem and begins with a brief overview, the essence of which is that many computer systems and programmes have been set up to run with dates comprising only two digits to mark the year, and therefore after 31 December 1999 these systems are likely to be unable to make accurate calculations. A section is devoted to the potential impact of this problem on consumers, and gives examples of common malfunctions that may occur. This is described from both passive situations, such as breakdowns in public services and active situations where domestic appliances may be affected. A section of the report is devoted to information sources and campaigns of importance to the consumer and deals also with certification and labelling issues. The contractual and legal issues related to warranty issues for goods and product liability issues are also covered. A final section is devoted to recommendations for further action in this field for the EU Institutions, national governments, companies, consumer organisations and consumers with special needs.