The Czech Consumer Association, who we are?

The Czech Consumer Association (SCS), established in 1990, sees its priorities in the development of activities, which focus on supporting a precautious (= “preventive”) approach and system tools in the field of consumer protection. These activities aim at enhancing relations between service providers of and consumers, trying to contribute to and support of development of market environment with fair competition as well as effective mechanisms to protect consumers.

Aims of the Czech Consumer Association:

- To develop the consumer protection on the basis of prevention including active involvement of our experts into approval process of law and other acts adopted by the Governmental and other public authorities, into development of standards etc. utilizing, that SCS is well informed on European consumer policies and related acquis and other policies, and on national systems in the EU member states;

- To develop activities in regions with aim to gather instigations and suggestions for our work; the work in regions is done via Regional contact sites; in several regions we have established Regional Commissions for Consumer Protection, with representatives of counterparts from the region (regional self-government, municipalities, market surveillance, professional associations, NGO);

- To develop assistance and advisory activities in the sphere of consumer protection especially on on-line basis (see www.konzument.cz ) and with special attention paid to the disabled, elderly people etc.;

- To develop international relations and activities incl. cross boarding areas and European consumers networks, including participation in European projects providing technical assistance in countries with transition economies, aimed at areas of market surveillance, product safety and consumer protection;

- To provide educational and training activities in the sphere of consumer protection (accredited by the Ministry of Education);

- Cooperates with ministries, the Czech Parliament, profession associations, the Czech Ethic Forum, market surveillance bodies, standardization body etc.

SCS has long-term experience in delivering training sessions, workshops, seminars and conferences on national, European and international level. It cooperated with the European Commission (TAIEX) (Alternative dispute resolutions, product safety (2003)), with Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament (Protection of consumer in financial services (2004), Metrology and consumer (2005), safety of shoes for children (2006), etc.

Within several last years it realized several projects supported by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, other Czech authorities, European Commission (Transition Facility), etc. concerned to development of Documentation, Information and Consultation Centre, development of providing consumer services in regions, analysis of information system on food safety in the CR, alternative dispute resolution in the CR, enforcement of the law, standardization of furniture and child shoes, frauds of noncash payments etc.

The SCS was a partner of a consortium having realized a European project in Albania (support to Ministry of Economy on Market surveillance). The chairman of SCS has been personally engaged in several projects of technical aids to European countries like Macedonia, Croatia, Cyprus, Albania and Moldova. The projects have been run by a member state or by the European Commission or by the World Bank, aimed at areas of standardization, technical harmonization, new approach directives, general product safety, market surveillance, free movement of goods and / or consumer protection.

Standardization is a crucial topic for our association and now (2008-09) there is under implementation a project funded by Norwegian Government to support creating a model of professional participation of consumers into standardization. SCS staff has got deep experience in harmonization process of adapting a country for adoption of international technical assistance and preparation for accession to EU (adoption of acquis and transformation of institutions and infrastructure).