AGCM

PRESS RELEASE

ANTITRUST AUTHORITY AND CONSUMERS FACE EACH OTHER ON E-COMMERCE AND ON UNSOLICITED SUPPLIES

The Antitrust Authority and consumer associations: discussions and collaboration continue in the context of their competencies and respective areas of responsibility. The usual regular meeting that took place yesterday in the offices of the Authority confirmed the intention of both parties to proceed along these lines to protect the market and free competition. The discussion also covered in particular e-commerce and unsolicited supplies and services in the context of the European Directive on Consumer Rights.

The meeting was attended by the President of the Italian Antitrust Authority, Giovanni Pitruzzella, together with Salvatore Rebecchini, another member of the Board; Chief of Staff Filippo Arena; and the General Secretary Roberto Chieppa. There were numerous representatives of consumer associations.

In his welcome address President Pitruzzella took the opportunity to reiterate first of all the commitment by the Antitrust in favour of market transparency, to safeguard the interests of consumers with particular reference to electronic commerce. The Director General for Consumer Protection, Giovanni Calabrò, then recalled the main decisions on this issue that had been taken throughout the year by the Authority and introduced the interventions by the managers of the various departments: Iacopo Berti (Primary Industry, Energy, Transport and Trade); Massimo Ferrero (Communications, Finance and Insurance, Postal Services and Real Estate) and Claudio Verna (Heavy Industry, the Chemical Industry, Pharmaceutics and Food Processing, Mechanical Industry and Textiles, Tourism and Other Services).

This was followed by speeches by representatives of the associations, in alphabetical order of their respective acronyms: Andrea Di Palma (Adiconsum), Lamberto Santini (Adoc), Silvia Castronovi (Altroconsumo), Anastasia Maria Capasso (Asso-Consum), Alessia Stabile (Associazione Utenti dei servizi radiotelevisivi), Antonietta Boselli (Assoutenti), Maria Pisanò (Centro europeo consumatori), Tina Napoli (Cittadinanzattiva), Gianluca Di Ascenzio and Valeria Graziussi (Codacons), Luigi Gabriele (Codici), Rosario Trefiletti (Federconsumatori), Francesco Luongo (Movimento difesa del cittadino), Maria Iaconis (Unione per la difesa dei consumatori) and finally Massimiliano Dona (Unione nazionale consumatori).

To every point raised and to every claim – from the risks of electronic commerce to disruptions in the supply of water, electricity and gas; from online fraud to the possibility of privatization of the railway network – the Secretary General Chieppa gave a case-by-case explanation, reaffirming the commitment by the Italian Antitrust Authority to follow up abuse and unfair commercial practices.

Rome, 2 December 2015