Consumer Protection

Consumer policy and consumer protection were explicitly declared to be tasks of the state in Austria in the 1970s. While these tasks were initially limited to quality checks, price monitoring, the displaying of prices and product information, the Ministry's activities in this field are much more diverse today. They range from general consumer protection legislation via contract law to issues of product safety, travel and tourism law, and new information and communications technologies.

At an international level, important focuses are cooperation in the field of product safety in PROSAFE (Product Safety Enforcement Forum of Europe) and international coordination in the field of unfair business practices within the framework of ICPEN (International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network). The Consumer Protection Division of the Ministry is also active within the OECD (Consumer Policy Committee). In addition, it maintains informal contacts to state authorities and private organisations in the field of consumer protection in Eastern Europe.