MEPs rein in Commission plans to merge health and consumer protection

"To promote the interests of consumers," reads the EC's founding treaty, the Community is to take "measures which support, supplement and monitor the policy pursued by the Member States." Meeting on 21 February 2006, MEPs from the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) signed up to €233 million worth of such measures -- by lending their unanimous support to a 2007-2013 programme of Community action in the field of consumer protection.