Consumers play a vital role in economies accounting for more 60% of the GDP of OECD countries.  Consumers who know their rights and have the information to make meaningful choices when buying goods or services spur businesses to innovate and compete.

Governments have an important role to play in helping consumers understand their rights and protect their interests. The OECD aims to help governments around the world to design effective consumer policies by examining issues of mutual interest and supporting the development of principles which promote efficient, transparent and fair global markets for consumers.

The Committee is currently focusing on e-comerce, product safety, education, sustainable consumption, cross-border fraud and dispute resolution and redress issues. It has also been examining consumer economics, focusing on the new insights that work on consumer behavioural economics is providing. In addition to government officials from member countries, the Committee works closely with experts from civil society and the business community; non-member economies often take part in the Committee’s work, as observers or on an ad hoc basis.

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