Bulgarian National Consumers Association (BNCA)
(Coordinating Organization)

Nongovernmental organization, established in 1999

Aims

To protect consumers’ rights and interests by:

• Providing information that allows the consumer to be orientated in the market conditions
• Assisting the consumers, when protecting their rights- by consultation and legal assistance for claiming in and out-of-court procedures/conciliation committees/.
• Lobbying for improvement of consumer legislation l – representing consumers’ interests in case of legislative changes.

Activities

• Participates at drafting different kinds of consumer related laws, regulations, and contracts
• Established 19 regional branches up to now
• Established 2 specialized branches
• Maintains information and consultation centers in Sofia and 7 more of the biggest Bulgarian cities
• E-consumers Club established in 1999, aiming at protecting the consumers’ rights while shopping online
• Young consumers club established in 2002, where people under 30 are working to raise youth awareness on consumer issues
• Member of the National Counsel for Consumers Protection (NCCP)
• Maintains specialized consumer web site in Bulgarian and English
• Provides consumer education for journalists, parents, municipality servants etc.
• Provides telephone, personal and written consumer consultations
• Represents consumers in the relevant state institutions for consumer protection
• Publishes monthly newsletter
• Works closely with the Bulgarian state Commission for Consumer Protection
• Regularly participates in mutual projects and campaigns with the Association of Municipality Servants in Direction Trade, Tourism and Consumer Protection in Bulgaria

International membership

• Member and cofounder of “Alliance for Social and Ecological Consumer Organizations” (ASECO)- an open network for a sustainable future based on consumer’s guidance
• Affiliated member of Consumers International (CI)
• Member and cofounder of “Network of Central and Eastern European NGOs for Sustainable Consumption and Environmental Protection” (CEE Network). The CEE Network is a partnership 28 non-governmental consumer organizations from 16 countries in the Central and Eastern European region.
• Member of Consumer Citizenship Network /CCN2/

For more information see our website www.bnap.org

Lithuanian National Consumer Confederation

The Lithuanian National Consumer Confederation is a non-governmental “umbrella” consumer association.

The activities relevant to project and carried out by the organizations include:

• seminars on consumer education for consumers and businesses;
• conferences and other events;
• coalitions and other cooperation projects.
• It also publishes consumer related materials such as:
• “Consumer protection Legal acts”,
• “Buyers rights”,
• “Housing consumers guide”, etc.

Association of Polish Consumers

Association of Polish Consumers (APC) was set up in 1995 in order to develop consumers’ awareness of their rights to safety and health, information, education and representation, as well as the protection of their economic and legal interests. The Association is an expert group with no mass membership.

Main APC activities

• Free of charge legal advice
• Consumers can receive the information about their rights in general, as well as about possible legal solutions to their problems.

Information and education
Our most important task is to increase consumers’ awareness and to convince consumers, that they can and they should look after their own interests. However this can’t be achieved without developing the consumer education on all possible levels. That’s why education of consumers is the most important APC’s activity and the priority for the next years.

Our educational materials include leaflets, brochures, books and CDs on consumer issues. APC is a partner in the education project directed at adults, concerning Internet safety (part of the Grundtvig 2 programme), as well as national coordinator of the E-CONS thematic network related to consumer education (part of the Comenius 3 programme). We are also preparing consumer education programmes for secondary schools.

Consumer research

Getting the best knowledge about problems of Polish consumers is essential for making policy recommendations. In our studies we analyze the impact of a particular economic policy on situation of consumers, we try to find out, what do they already know and what should we remind them about.

Giving opinions on the proposals of consumer regulations

APC participates in consultations on new consumer acts, we persuade the entrepreneurs to obey the rules of business ethics as well as to create codes of good practices.
Cooperation with local consumer advocates

There are over 360 local consumer advocates in Poland, operating in each “powiat” (administrative area unit). They give legal advice to consumers, they can also represent consumer in courts. We consider local consumer advocates not only as the most important (the closest to consumers) part of the consumer protection system, but also as our most important partner in consumer protection activities in Poland.

APC publishes quarterly bulletin for them, which contains information about the latest changes in consumer law, examples of judicature, and news about consumer policy conducted at the European and international level. We also organize trainings and give legal consultations, as some of local consumer advocates are not lawyers and they need expert knowledge themselves.

Cooperation with other organisations and institutions

APC is an affiliate member of Consumers International and founding member of the International Network of Civil Society Organisations on Competition (INCSOC). In 2004 we became an ANEC member as well as an alternate member of the European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG). In 2005 we became a BEUC member. Together with our colleagues from European consumer organizations we conduct researches and exchange experience through realization of joint projects. Our main Polish partner is the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP).

Association of Consumer Organizations in Slovakia

Association of Consumer Organizations in Slovakia was  founded in 1999: Association is non- governmental  organization  consists from 9 regional associations and 19 consumer clubs.  The most highlighted works which association develops is :

• Information and education,
• Consumer counselling,
• runs a website  www.spotrebiteliask.sk,
• publishes leaflets, brochures and magazine,
• campaigns for better legislation,
• cooperates internationally,
• organize international competition of young consumer “ Consumption for Life”,
• support of consumer education at schools by consumer clubs.

Association of Consumer Organizations in Slovakia is affiliate member of Consumer International. President of our organization is member of European Consumer consultative Group in Brussels.
Relevant publication:

• Consumer Education for  Primary and Secondary Schools  - 1999
• Education of Consumer  for Values – 2001
• Environmental Consumption and Production -2003