Commissioner Bonino talks about "Consumer issues in the Information Society"
Mrs. Emma Bonino, European Commissioner responsible for consumer policy, presented her views on the subject "Consumer issues in the Information Society" at the European Consumer Forum, "The Consumer and the Information Society", held in Dublin, Ireland, on 3-4 September 1996. The Commissioner stressed the importance of the social implications of technological change: "The impact of these developments is so profound and wide-spread that it covers many aspects beyond the purely technological features, including the social, economic, legislative, educational, cultural, institutional and political dimensions. (...) The new technologies have developed at an accelerating pace over recent years and are now beginning to have a major impact on society to such and extent that it is becoming clear that the world is entering a revolution comparable to previous major upheavals such as the Industrial Revolution or the invention of electricity". Commissioner Bonino recognized that the European Commission has been somewhat late in considering the consumer dimension of the Information Society. She, however, assured participants that actions were being taken to ensure that that Commission develops appropriate measures to minimise the risks and maximise the potential benefits offered to consumers by the Information Society. As a starting point, the Commission, in its communication on "Priorities for consumer policy", has recognized that the consumer aspects of the information society should be a priority area. This recognition has been followed by a reorganization of the service responsible for consumer policy including the establishment of a new unit with specific responsibility for work on the Information Society. The immediate objective of current activity in this area is to establish a work programme which will identify various types of action which the Commission should undertake. With this in mind the Commission is anxious to receive input from the various interests concerned in order to clearly identify consumer issues and establish priorities for action. In this context, and as part of its efforts to bring the European Commission closer to the European citizen, the Commissioner has launched a "Consumer Helpline" on the Internet. Through this service, the consumer can contact the Commissioner directly by e-mail at: E-mail: consumer-help@dg24.cec.be