EU determined to improve consumer protection in digital age
September 25, 2021, 8:59 am

EU determined to improve consumer protection in digital age

EU-front-

The Xinhua reported, the EU's Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said here on Friday, the European Union is determined to improve consumer protection to ensure consumers the same protection when they purchase goods and services offline or online.

"On every occasion I heard the same thing: we need to make consumer legislation fit for today ... A lot of consumer legislation is not fit for the digital age," Reynders told a press conference after an informal meeting of the EU member states' ministers responsible for consumer protection.

He said the participants discussed the need to update the Consumer Credit Directive and the General Product Safety Directive.

"The European Commission also proposes to ensure that when people take out a loan on a mobile phone they get all the main information at a glance," he said, adding that it now takes up to 30 swipes to read all the information about a loan, which is why most people do not read all the important information.

He pointed out that six in ten consumers have been facing financial difficulties since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a survey conducted in 21 out of 27 EU member states, which is why it is important to have "up to date rules" for consumer credit, whether offline or online.

According to Reynders, the General Product Safety Directive was adopted back in 2002 when nine percent of Europeans were shopping online, while last year the respective figure was 72 percent.

He said: "We want to make sure that products purchased online are as safe as those sold offline."

Source: xinhua

Quad countries vow for free and open Indo-Pacific region Kuwait PM: Iran should build trust in Gulf region and respect sovereignty

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”