Consumer protection in the past few years grew significantly in importance. As a result the European institutions do not limit themselves to drafting new consumer legislation and supervising their implementations but try also to intervene whenever European consumers' interests could be endangered in more ad hoc matters. A recent example thereof is the creation of a new website that gives consumer tips to fans travelling to EURO 2012 games in Poland or Ukraine. This new website is accessible, e.g., from the UEFA EURO 2012 homepage and will be broadly advertised, e.g., in hotels in Poland. The idea is to give an overview to consumers travelling en masse to and from Poland of their rights and obligations in this country, e.g., when their luggage will get lost on the way to the games, or when the hotel service will not be as advertised.
"The Europe Direct Contact Centre services will answer any on-line query on general EU consumer rights in 23 languages while a consumer Infoline in English – operated by the Polish consumer organisation Federacja Konsumentów – will provide legal support to those who run into consumer problems in Poland." (European Commission and UEFA launch 'Consumer Tips' for fans travelling to EURO 2012)
The infoline should already by open and operate until 31st of July 2012. The free number from a Polish phone (either mobile or fixed-line) is: 800 007 707. From a foreign phone you should call (it's not free then!): 0048 228 27 5474.
