European Institutions
Main links concerning consumer protection on European level.
- European Consumer Centres Network
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/index_en.htm
The network of European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) serves EU consumers shopping for goods and services on the European market, providing them with advice on their EU consumer rights and helping them with their disputes with traders in other EU countries - Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea)
http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/
Chafea started its activities on 1.1.2014 as the successor of the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers - EAHC. It implements EU Health Programmes, e.g. the Consumers Programme and the Better Training for Safer Food initiative - European Commission – ECC-Net
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/index_en.htm - European Commission – Consumer Affairs
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/index_en.htm - European Commission - DG SANTE, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_food-safety/index_en.htm - European Commission - DG JUST, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/index_en.htm#newsroom-tab - Executive Agency for Health and Consumers
http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/ - European Commission, Representation in Austria
http://ec.europa.eu/austria/ - European Parliament, Representation in Austria
http://www.europarl.at - Citizens Signpost Service, The CSS is aimed at EU citizens who encounter problems with mobility in the European Internal Market
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/ - FIN-NET, Financial dispute resolution network of national out-of-court complaint schemes in the European Economic Area countries
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/fin-net/index_en.htm - SOLVIT, SOLVIT is an on-line problem solving network in which EU Member States work together to solve without legal proceedings problems caused by the misapplication of Internal Market law by public authorities
http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/site/index_en.htm - Europe Direct
http://ec.europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm - European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters
http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/index_en.htm
Consumer Protection in Austria
Consumer protection has a high relevance in Austria. Here you can find the main links to Austrian institutions dealing with consumer issues.
- Austrian Consumer Association
Verein für Konsumenteninformation
www.vki.at - Austrian Consumer Association - Legal Department
www.verbraucherrecht.at - Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection
Bundesministerium für Arbeit, Soziales und Konsumentenschutz
www.konsumentenfragen.at - Internetombudsman
www.ombudsmann.at - Chamber of Labour
Arbeiterkammer
www.arbeiterkammer.at/konsument.htm - Insolvency Files - Austria
Insolvenzdatei - Österreich
www.edikte.justiz.gv.at
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Another way for consumers to get help is alternative dispute resolution. There are seven sector-specific arbitration bodies in Austria (e.g. postal services, telecommunications, finances), as well as one body competent for general consumer problems.
Staatlich anerkannte Schlichtungsstellen in Österreich
- State-approved arbitration bodies in Austria
List by the ECC - Verbraucherschlichtung Austria
http://verbraucherschlichtung.at
General body for cases that are not sector-specific or covered by one of the other seven bodies
More Useful Websites
Links to useful websites, like press agencies or trade register.- Register of Austrian Tour Operators
https://www.bmdw.gv.at/Unternehmen/Reiseveranstalter/Seiten/Veranstalterverzeichnis.aspx - Austrian Media Service
www.pressetext.at - Austrain Press Agency
www.apa.at
