EUROMAT NEWS

EU AFFAIRS

15/06/11 – The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee held its first exchange of views on the forthcoming own-initiative report on online gambling in the Internal Market. MEPs agreed on the importance of respecting the “principle of subsidiarity”. Some MEPs, however, see a need to improve the cooperation between Member States especially on areas such as consumer protection and anti-money laundering. The exchange of views was followed by the Public Hearing “Online Gambling in the EU: New rules of the game?”. German MEP Jürgen Creutzmann (ALDE) is expected to present his draft report in the coming weeks with a view to be discussed by IMCO on 12 July 2011.

16/06/11 – With no votes against, IMCO endorsed a compromise text on the Consumer Rights Directive negotiated with the Hungarian Presidency. The new rules, aimed at increasing the consumer protection across the European Union, fully harmonise the list of information to be given to consumers and the right of withdrawal for distance and off-premises purchases. Gambling was excluded of the scope of the new Directive already at the beginning of the process. The compromise text, which has also been supported by the European Commission, will be voted in plenary session on 23 June 2011. The whole process should then be finalized  with  the  publication  in the Official Journal, tentatively in October 2011.

08/06/11 – The European Lotteries (EL) adopted the “Helsinki Resolution on Public Order and the Integrity of Sport” aimed mainly at tackling illegal betting. 

Source EUROMAT