Europe: Consumer Protection

Turkey has introduced a new regulatory framework governing the production and marketing of fruit saplings and propagation materials through a comprehensive certification system.

Belgian online traders face a new legal requirement to implement a mandatory 'withdraw here' button on their webshops by 19 June 2026. This EU directive fundamentally changes how consumers exercise...

On 5 March 2026, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) published a Discussion Paper (DP12) (PDF 1.4 MB) examining the use of DLT and tokenisation within Irish and European financial services, with a particular focus on investment funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds.

HM Treasury has unveiled comprehensive reforms to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, marking the most significant overhaul of consumer credit regulation in decades.

HM Treasury has published its Policy Statement on reform of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA), setting out the planned policy direction following the Phase 1 consultation which closed in July 2025. The statement confirms the intention to repeal many provisions of the CCA, recasting these within the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Handbook (though not necessarily as a direct copy-out). 

The UK government has announced significant reforms to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, scrapping the phase two consultation and moving forward with changes that will remove automatic unenforceability sanctions while shifting many prescriptive requirements from statute to FCA rules.

The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures against 20 EU Member States for failing to transpose the EmpCo Directive by the March 27, 2026 deadline. This directive aims to combat greenwashing by requiring substantiation of environmental claims and third-party certification for sustainability labels, with full implementation expected by September 27, 2026.

The Advertising Standards Authority has tightened its enforcement on "clinically proven" beauty claims, requiring brands to substantiate such assertions with rigorous clinical trials rather than consumer use tests.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has launched formal investigations into eight companies over potentially misleading pricing practices, including hidden fees, fake countdown timers, and pre-selected extras. With new powers to impose fines up to 10% of global turnover without court proceedings, the CMA is signaling a major shift in how online pricing compliance will be enforced across all industries.

The UK Home Office has introduced sweeping changes to the compliance framework for educational institutions sponsoring international students, tightening performance thresholds and implementing...

The Graduate Immigration Route enables international students who have completed eligible UK courses to remain in the UK for work or self-employment without requiring a job offer or sponsorship. With recent changes affecting visa duration based on application timing...

Technology and economic uncertainty are reshaping work, but access to opportunity remains uneven. Through mentoring programs spanning from professionals over 50 to young people and trauma survivors...