Statement by the Chair of the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, Mrs Arlene McCarthy

Business Wire, July 20, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Following a two- and a half-day program by members of the European Parliament Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of meetings with legislators, policy-makers and stakeholders in Washington D.C., the Chair of the Committee, Mrs Arlene McCarthy said:

"Now that the EU and the U.S. have signed a Framework Agreement on Transatlantic Economic Cooperation, there is new momentum to take key areas forward. It is time for us as legislators to engage in joint efforts to protect and promote the interests of consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

We support the new drive for an EU-U.S. Partnership Agreement to protect our consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices online. The increase in cross-border fraud means that we need to improve exchange of information and enforcement. We have a duty as legislators on both sides of the Atlantic, to protect the consumers who are increasingly vulnerable to global scams and frauds online by sophisticated, criminal-type networks.

The recent revelation of dangerous products imported from China, has lent a new urgency to joint cooperation and information sharing on unsafe products. We have our own laws in place to tackle these problems in our own jurisdictions, but the goal must be to work on coordinated and joint actions, which must moved up the political agenda.

If we fail to get effective cooperation on product safety and cross-border fraud and scams online, we will be failing in our duty as legislators, and failing our consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

We have a unique opportunity with the EU-U.S. framework to act and we need to demonstrate we are able to deliver for consumer and citizens."

Note:

Meetings held by the Delegation

* Federal Trade Commission

* U.S. Department of Commerce

* Senate Committee on Commerce

* House of Representatives: Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Legislative Dialogue and with Mr. Allan HUBBARD, Executive Office of the President

* Office of Management and Budget

* Transatlantic Business Dialogue

* Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue

* U.S. Chamber of Commerce

* Consumer Product Safety Commission

* Better Business Bureau

Committee Delegation Members

Mrs McCarthy, Mr Harbour, Ms Plestinska, Mrs Saks, Mrs Schaldemose, Mrs Ruehle, Mr Newton Dunn