A New Impulse: The EU’s 2030 Consumer Agenda Takes Aim at Digital Fairness and Sustainable Growth

The European Commission’s presentation of the 2030 Consumer Agenda marks a decisive strategic shift in EU consumer policy, providing a critical five-year roadmap. This is more than a mere policy refresh; it represents a comprehensive response to the evolving challenges faced by the EU’s 450 million consumers, who drive over 51% of the bloc's GDP.

This Agenda is structured to be a pillar of stability within the Single Market, specifically designed to address factors such as persistent market barriers, the rising cost of living, the accelerated pace of digitalisation, and the demands put forth by the Green Transition.

The strategy operates on a principle of mutual reinforcement: a robust consumer framework enhances competition, ultimately benefiting businesses and fostering sustainable prosperity. By boosting trust, ensuring legal clarity, and strengthening enforcement, the EU aims to protect its citizens while simultaneously shielding compliant firms from the unfair competition posed by non-compliant traders and the influx of unsafe imports facilitated by e-commerce.

The Agenda is structured around four interconnected priority areas, forming a comprehensive and forward-looking roadmap for the coming years.

Key Priority Areas and Actions

1. Completing the Single Market for Consumers

Despite the Single Market's success, residual obstacles prevent consumers from fully realising its potential. The Commission will develop new tools by late 2026 to combat unjustified Territorial Supply Constraints (TSCs), unilateral restrictions by large manufacturers that fragment the market and inflate prices. An evaluation of the Geo-Blocking Regulation is underway to ensure it is meeting its original aims. New measures will assist consumers in comparing travel fares, particularly rail fares, and progress is expected to enhance cross-border access to financial services, including the availability of savings and investment accounts. Crucially, the upcoming roll-out of EU Digital Identity Wallets across all Member States by late 2026 will simplify cross-border transactions.

2. Digital Fairness and Online Protection

The rapid growth of the digital economy necessitates a modern consumer protection 'safety net'. The Commission plans to propose the Digital Fairness Act (DFA) in late 2026 to significantly strengthen protection against problematic online commercial practices. It is expected to target techniques such as dark patterns and addictive design that unfairly influence consumer decisions and exploit vulnerabilities. A specific focus is likely to be on shielding minors online, reducing their exposure to harmful practices in digital products. Recognising online fraud as a rapidly escalating crime, the Commission will take action to boost prevention, enhance law enforcement effectiveness, and strengthen support for victims.

3. Promoting Sustainable Consumption

Consumers are crucial drivers of sustainable growth. The Agenda aims to empower this transition by ensuring sustainable choices are available, affordable, and trustworthy. The EU will support the implementation of new laws to protect consumers against greenwashing and to promote a wider range of sustainable goods. Efforts will focus on strengthening product durability, including promoting a harmonised notice on the legal guarantee of conformity and a durability label by the third quarter of 2026. The Commission is committed to launching a European online platform for repair by 2028. Furthermore, the Agenda actively supports the circular economy by promoting the return of unused goods and strengthening second-hand markets.

4. Effective Enforcement and Redress

The efficacy of any policy depends on rigorous enforcement, especially given the surge in unsafe or non-compliant products, particularly imports. The Commission will propose revisions to the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Regulation in late 2026 and update product safety rules as part of the European Product Act in mid-2026. The overarching goal is to significantly increase product compliance, especially for imports, by better integrating the capacities of customs and market surveillance authorities. Support continues for the Representative Actions Directive, allowing consumer organisations to pursue collective action. The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) will receive strong backing to provide free legal advice for cross-border transactions. The objective is also to maximise the use of AI in enforcement and market surveillance activities by 2027.

How You Can Stay Informed on EU Consumer Policy

The 2030 Consumer Agenda offers critical insights into the European Commission’s priorities and key initiatives to strengthen consumer protection, ensure Digital Fairness, and drive sustainable growth across the Single Market. The period from 2026 to 2027 will be essential for EU consumer policy as policymakers work on major legislative files, including the upcoming Digital Fairness Act (DFA) and the revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Regulation, among other crucial dossiers.

FiscalNote’s EU policy intelligence platform, EU Issue Tracker (EUIT), offers a comprehensive database of all key EU consumer policy dossiers, from the earliest signs of potential regulatory action to hotly debated and adopted measures. Our platform combines cutting-edge technology with analysis from our expert team in Brussels, who summarize each dossier, explain the latest developments, highlight how proposals amend existing regulations, and provide analysis on committees, stakeholders, and future timelines.