Consultation outcome

UK implementation of the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU

• From: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
• Published: 20 August 2012
• Last updated: 20 December 2013 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Reform of consumer law draft regulations: proforma for additional comments by 11 October 2013

Ref: BIS/13/1107RF

MS Word Document, 410 KB

Reform of consumer law: draft regulations - government response to consultations on misleading and aggressive practices and the European Consumer Rights Directive

Ref: BIS/13/1107

PDF, 339 KB, 18 pages

Government response to the recommendations of the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission on misleading and aggressive commercial practices and the consultation on implementing the Consumer Rights Directive

Ref: BIS/13/1108

PDF, 119 KB, 31 pages

Draft Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Payments) Regulations 2013

Ref: BIS/13/1111

PDF, 157 KB, 27 pages

Draft Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Payments) Regulations: overview and frequently asked questions

Ref: BIS/13/1113

PDF, 48.6 KB, 8 pages

Implementation of the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU): final impact assessment

Ref: BIS/13/1109

PDF, 209 KB, 29 pages

Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights: draft transposition note

Ref: BIS/13/1123

PDF, 75.7 KB, 16 pages

Detail of outcome

The government response to this consultation also includes a response to a related Law Commission consultation on misleading and aggressive commercial practices.

On 13 December we published the final regulations, which business must comply with from June 2014, along with guidance on their implementation.

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Original consultation

Summary

Sought views on the UK’s implementation of the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD).

This consultation ran from
20 August 2012 to 11:45pm on 1 November 2012

Consultation description

The Consumer Rights Directive (CRD) was agreed by all member states of the European Union in October 2011. The CRD aims to simplify and harmonise rules in a limited number of areas, to encourage growth and raise consumer confidence in buying across borders.

The CRD’s aims to:

• ensure transparency of information, particularly to pre-contractual information for distance and off-premises contracts (but also for other goods and services contracts)
• ensure there is express consent from the consumer for any additional payments
• ensure cancellations rights for distance and off-premises contracts
• prohibit excessive fees for paying the trader - the subject of a separate consultation to effect early implementation of this provision.
• prohibit excessive phone charges for consumers contacting traders about existing contracts

It also updates legislation to clarify the cancellation rights and obligations of buyers and sellers of digital products.

The harmonisation aims of this Directive mean that the majority of provisions must be implemented as described. Member states do not have flexibility on applying it to sectors within the scope of the Directive. The proposals in this consultation show areas where we do have flexibility.

Documents

Enhancing consumer confidence by modernising consumer law: consultation on the implementation of the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU

Ref: BIS/12/999

PDF, 519 KB, 70 pages

EU Consumer Rights Directive: pre-contractual information requirements for contracts other than distance or off-premises - impact assessment

Ref: BIS/12/1000

PDF, 369 KB, 17 pages

EU Consumer Rights Directive: information requirements and extension of the right to withdraw for off-premises contracts - impact assessment

Ref: BIS/12/1001

PDF, 266 KB, 21 pages

EU Consumer Rights Directive: information requirements and right to withdraw for distance contracts - impact assessment

Ref: BIS/12/1002

PDF, 275 KB, 19 pages

EU Consumer Rights Directive: provisions on delivery, passing of risk, communication by telephone and consent for additional payments. Impact assessment

Ref: BIS/12/1003

PDF, 287 KB, 19 pages

Stakeholder responses to the implementation of the Consumer Rights Directive through the Consumer Contracts (information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013

Ref: BIS/13/1365

PDF, 271 KB, 22 pages

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Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations: implementing guidance

Ref: BIS/13/1368

PDF, 529 KB, 26 pages

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Impact assessment: implementation of the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU)

Ref: BIS/13/1367

PDF, 323 KB, 28 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@beis.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Published 20 August 2012
Last updated 20 December 2013 + show all updates

1. 20 December 2013

   The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, which comes into force in June 2014, were published on 13 December 2013 along with guidance on their implementation.

2. 6 August 2013

   Published government response to consultation and related documents including draft Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Payments) Regulations 2013.

3. 20 August 2012

   First published.