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Data Protection Declaration
Imprint
Development of concepts for improvement of national and European consumer information law on the basis of a comparative study of consumer information law in Europe and the U.S.
Project
Project code: 08HS026
Contract period: 01.04.2009
- 31.03.2010
Budget: 151,504 Euro
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment
The study revealed broad similarities among the examined jurisdictions with regard to legislation on consumer information: Hence, all surveyed jurisdictions know legal acts providing for the consumers' right to access certain public documents. Additionally, all examined jurisdictions impose a duty on businesses to inform consumers in a certain way. None of the legal systems contain a direct information claim against businesses, though. However, despite these similarities on a general level, differences can be ascertained on a more specific level. None of the examined legal systems knows an act, which is comparable to the German Consumer Information Act. Meanwhile, consumers obtain the same information in the examined countries through Freedom of Information legislation. Additionally, we determined that especially Scandinavian countries have an extremely open culture when it comes to public documents. Even more, the public bodies of these countries tend to disseminate a wide range of different information automatically. Especially the Danish legislator has chosen a very consumer protective information policy. There, all restaurants and other businesses handling food and beverages, such as supermarkets, have to display a ranking about their hygiene quality rendered by Danish public authorities at their entrance. A tendency towards the publication of public controls can also be found e.g. in Los Angeles County and Great Britain ('Scores on the doors').
Section overview
Subjects
- Communication Sciences
