The Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) provides the Swedish general public with consumer affairs assistance. The Consumer Agency, with a staff of around 180, works on a wide variety of consumer issues. Its fields mainly relate to advertising and contract terms, consumer information and education, domestic finances, product safety, product quality and environmental impact. The Government and the Swedish Parliament set consumer policy objectives.
The general policy goals are:
- to strengthen the position and influence of consumers in the market
- to help households make the best possible use of their money and other resources
- to strengthen the protection of consumer health and safety
- to promote patterns of production and consumption which contribute to long-term
- sustainable development
- to increase consumer access to good advice and assistance, information and education
The Consumer Agency is headed by a Director General, who is also Consumer Ombudsman, KO (Konsumentombudsmannen).
The Agency acts in the collective interest of consumers but does not provide assistance to individual consumers. Konsument Europa, a unit within the Agency, is an exception! This unit assists local consumers who have experienced problems as a result of cross-border shopping as well as other EU citizens who have complaints about goods and services ordered from Sweden or purchased while visiting Sweden. Konsument Europa is the European Consumer Centre in Sweden and as such co financed by the European Commission. Konsument Europa is at the same time the Swedish Clearing House within the European Extra-Judicial Network.
Senast granskad: 2009-12-04
