Consumers protest against double standards in European countries
As Radio Prague notes, this situation is very beneficial for large Western manufacturers, who save on the quality of goods intended for the "Eastern market." But numerous protests from the Czech Republic and other countries, along with dozens of expert examinations, have finally forced Brussels to tackle this issue seriously. On April 11, the European Commission intends to introduce a draft law banning the production of goods of the same brand with different quality, recognizing such practice as consumer deception and a violation of EU laws.
In the European Parliament, this issue is being handled by MEP Olga Sehnalová from the ČSSD. "This is not only about food products – although we have accumulated the most expert assessments in this segment. Overall, a whole series of expert examinations have already been conducted – we have data from about ten EU countries. Summing up, we can say that the difference in quality applies to canned goods, meat products, candies, and other sweets. As for the non-food segment, here we can primarily talk about detergents – soap, laundry powders, and similar products."
Often, international corporations producing such goods explain their actions by saying they are merely guided by consumer demand – supposedly, in Eastern Europe, people are used to strong food additives and sausages with starch, but cheaper. However, does the consumer actually pay less for a lower-quality product?
"According to the research conducted, this is far from clear-cut," notes Olga Sehnalová. "From the very beginning of our debates, this was one of the most popular arguments – that these products 'adapt to consumer taste' and 'their expectations of a low price.' However, the results of the inspections certainly do not confirm this. The rule that goods of different or lower quality are cheaper on the 'Eastern market' does not apply."
Achieving the European Commission's decision was not easy. Now, Western countries must be convinced of the existence of double standards. At the same time, influential states such as Germany and Austria oppose the introduction of such norms. How difficult a task lies ahead?
"It was difficult, it is difficult now, and it will be difficult in the future. And it is not only difficult for me as an MEP – if the European Commission indeed puts forward this proposal on Wednesday, which I very much hope for, it will be just another step towards solving the issue. We still face negotiations in the European Parliament with representatives of EU member states, where some intermediate compromise solutions will emerge. Old countries, of course, protect their producers and traders," says the MEP. "For new members, this issue has largely symbolic significance – a sign of how the European Union and its internal market function, so this topic also has a political aspect."
Even if this difficult path is successfully navigated and double quality standards are banned, it does not mean that Western holdings will not use loopholes to still save on quality.
"Of course, manufacturers are already trying to come up with various tricks. Our task, however, is to provide legal structures with a clear tool with which they can enforce quality compliance, because to this day I am not aware of a single case where control authorities have initiated legal proceedings against those who operate on the principle of double standards. There must be methods common to all EU members, inspections must be conducted across Europe, and watchdog bodies must receive a legal instrument to act. Until now, we have lacked this," points out Czech MEP Olga Sehnalová.
After the law passes coordination and is approved, violators may face high fines – up to 4% of the manufacturer's annual turnover. The draft, which the European Commission is to present, also allows for collective consumer complaints about quality.