European Consumer Day

At the initiative of its president, Ms Rangoni Machiavelli, the European Economic and Social Committee organised the first European Consumer Day on 15 March 1999. This initiative was extremely successful and received the immediate support of the European Commission and successive EU presidencies. As a result, since the first three events held in Brussels, during which issues such as food security and safe use of the Internet were debated, the European Consumer Day has often been held in the country holding the EU presidency. The EESC is a bridge between Europe and organised civil society. In this context, the European Consumer Day provides a forum where representatives of government, EU institutions and civil society organisations can exchange their views on various problems related to consumer affairs. Every year the event gathers high-level participants to discuss topical issues, whether focusing on the ongoing Commission initiatives or signalling problems that require more attention