Bulgaria

[BG] Protection of the Economic Interests of TV Viewers in their Capacity as Consumers

IRIS 2007-8:1/12

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

On 8 May 2007, the Council of Ministers adopted a regulation on the terms and conditions for the participation of the bodies responsible for the protection of the economic interests of the consumers in the administrative co-operation with the member states of the EU and the European Commission.

Pursuant to the regulation, the administrative co-operation between the Bulgarian authorities responsible for the protection of economic interests of the consumers and the member states of the European Union and the European Commission shall be carried out between:

1. The Commission on Protection of Consumers and the other governmental authorities, including the Council for Electronic Media as regarding the content of advertisements;

2. The Commission on Protection of Consumers and the co-ordinating authorities of the member states of the European Union;

3. The Commission on Protection of Consumers and the European Commission.

The supervising authorities shall exercise their powers in case of infringements of European legislation within the meaning of Regulation No. 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council on co-operation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws (the Regulation on the consumer protection co-operation) of the member states of the European Union, on the territory of the European Community or where there is a potential danger for infringements of European legislation.

According to paragraph 1, point 13 of the supplementary provision of the regulation “an infringement of EC legislation within the meaning of Regulation No. 2006/2004” is every action or omission, which damages or may damage the collective interests of consumers in one or more member states of the European Union, different from the member state where the violation has been committed or where the trader is established or where the evidence of the violation has been found, and which contradicts the requirements laid down in Directive 89/552/EEC of the Council for the pursuit of television activities.