Besides a backbone of food safety laws, the EU has some useful systems in place which help to keep our food safe. For example, the European Food Safety Authority advises on risk, there is a rapid alert process for sharing information on food problems and also some shared monitoring of food. For example, EU …
The carer looked at me over the top of her glasses. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she said ‘but we can’t help you.’ I looked at her in disbelief. This was a private care agency, they had the capacity, I had the money, we needed help, what was the problem?‘Your mother needs a proper assessment,’ she …
NCF has looked at how the internet has changed our approach to trust and the way we now make choices. We started work on this by looking at ‘what good looks like’ Link from the consumer’s point of view. This paper analysed the issues arising from current practices where trust schemes use customer feedback. We …
The NCF is considering the effect changes in trade agreements from the UK within the EU to the UK by itself could impact consumers. Within the EU all the disparate safety laws and standards have been brought into a single system of laws and standards – One rule and one test applicable right across …
Since announcing our intention to leave the European Union the pound has lost 15% against the euro, is at a three decade low against the dollar, and is predicted to reach parity with the euro by the time we leave the EU in 2019. The Bank of England has warned of increasing inflation risks, …
TrustMark, the only government-endorsed ‘find a tradesperson’ scheme in the UK, has been working with the National Consumer Federation (NCF) over the past few months to develop their name branding, website and taking a part in the organisation of congress in April. I’ve been involved in the new ‘look and feel’, and will be …
Yes, its actually thirty years since I chaired the Consumer Congress in Liverpool. This was attended by over 300 delegates from a tremendous variety of organisations, addressed by Michael Howard, Minister of State for Corporate and Consumer Affairs, among others, and organised round six well- attended and lively workshops, plus nine fringe meetings. The …
There are arguments over how protectionist the current EU trade deals are outside the EU so that goods coming in from outside the EU are much more expensive than they need be. The EU say that the average tariff they put on in trade deals comes to between 2% and 3%. However a few …
What is an EHIC and how does it work? The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is free and entitles you to free or reduced-cost medical treatment throughout the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. In effect, you will be treated as a resident of the country you are visiting. Be aware that the …
The 5 December 2017 Consumer Congress focused on issues relating to market surveillance and enforcement, one of the principal messages from the April Consumer Congress and an often-overlooked element in the market place that is vital to the success of the market and to consumer trust. More specifically, as Baroness Judith Wilcox, President of …