Vol. 495 No. 7
150 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on whether more effective enforcement of existing consumer legislation is required; the plans, if any, she has in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21981/98]
The Deputy's question is very timely. We have now accumulated an extensive body of consumer legislation and, while additional legislative measures are always likely be required from time to time both at national and EU level to ensure the consumer is adequately protected, there is likely to be a much greater emphasis on enforcement in the future.
Improved enforcement of consumer legislation is a priority for the European Commission, which issued a working document on the subject in March 1998 intended to establish a broad picture of the situation in the EU. As part of Ireland's contribution to this important debate I hosted a forum in Dublin on 2 and 3 October on Consumers and the Amsterdam Treaty at which this subject was discussed.
I fully expect the importance of this issue to be reflected in future discussions both at national level and at EU level, and, crucially, in the level of interaction between the member states themselves and the member states and the Commission.
