(L-R) Bob Schmitz, EU Consumer Law Legal Advisor, ULC; Amber Bechrouri, Director EU Public Policy in Amazon; Tine A. Larsen, President at CNPD; Isabelle Pérignon, Director for Consumer Policy, DG Justice and Consumers in European Commission;
Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu
On Wednesday 24 September 2025, the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Luxembourg hosted the tenth edition of the European Consumer Rights Conference at the European Parliament’s Adenauer Building; this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the wider ECC network.
Organised by ECC Luxembourg under the patronage of the European Parliament, the event brought together European officials, policymakers, business representatives and consumers to discuss the evolving challenges of consumer protection in a digitalised and offline market.
The panel discussion was moderated by Ralph Roggenbuck, Legal Adviser at ECC France, introducing the programme of the day. The programme opened with a video message from European Commissioner Michael McGrath, who announced plans for a new Consumer Agenda in a timeframe from 2025 to 2030 and an upcoming Digital Fairness Act (DFA) to strengthen online protection.
The first round of discussions focused on key challenges facing consumers and several speakers sharing their professional views on the proposed DFA, which will eliminate widely used practices such as dark patterns, addictive design, unfair personalisation, difficult subscription cancellations and problematic influencer marketing.
European Commission Director for Consumer Policy, Isabelle Perignon, particularly underlined concerns about online policies and hidden advertising, while Luxembourg Consumer Union (ULC) EU Consumer Law Legal Advisor, Bob Schmitz, emphasised consumer vulnerability, noting that latest research shows “46% of consumers finding advertisements useful, while 10% end up buying more than they need.” Discussions also addressed how to eliminate pressure from manipulative practices through hidden advertising or pressure tactics.
According to Amber Bechraoui, EU Public Policy Director at Amazon, the company must comply with both online and offline consumer protection obligations. She highlighted Amazon’s customer-focused advertising efforts but also acknowledged the growing problem of consumer information overload.
Luxembourg’s Minister for Consumer Protection, Martine Hansen, recalled a personal story of purchasing a digital camera online that never arrived: “Everything seemed relatively perfect except that the package never arrived. Now the questions arise: who should I contact? What should I do to get my money back?” She referred to ECC as an essential point of support in those kinds of situations: “It is a service that listens to you, that advises you, that helps you.”
The discussions included an acknowledgement of the new Director of ECC, Thomas Segretain, who has held the position for the past year.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Mr Segretain highlighted the evolution of the biennial event, noting that this year’s edition encouraged open discussions between participants. He said: “The idea now is to focus on an exchange with people. In the past it was presentations of people coming here, explaining how things were in terms of rights for persons with disabilities and the change of law.”
Thomas-Segretain, Director at ECC Luxembourg
Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu
