The Independent Union of Consumers in Bulgaria (IUCB) is a nationally represented unity of citizens aiming at protection of health, safety and economic interests of the consumers through encouraging their right of information, education and civil representation. Our main goal is Bulgaria to include in the country legislation and practice the European and world principles of consumer protection.
During the four years since its foundation, the IUCB proved itself to be an intensively developing organization with its own established organizational, staff and expert potential.
• The IUCB has been acknowledged as a nationally representative unity of consumers by the Ministry of Economy.
• The Chairman of IUCB - Boris Ivanov - is also a member of the National Council for Consumer Protection with the Minister of Economy and Energy.
• A representative of the IUCB is also a member of the government work group on the issues of Chapter 23 "Protection of Consumers and Their Health" working on the harmonization of Bulgarian and European Legislation.
• The IUCB has representatives in all regional mediatory comissions appointed by order of the Minister of Economy.
• The IUCB has established structures and representatives in most of the regional centers and larger communities.
• As a nationally represented organization, the IUCB receives anual subsidiary from the country budget and also some funding from the Ministry of Economy based on the Consumer Protection Law.
• The IUCB is a regular participant in the General Assembly of Consumers Organizations in Europe.
• The IUCB has appointed the only representative of consumer organizations for the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria.
• We are in the process of becoming a member of the European Bureau of Consumer Organizations (BEUC).
The main goals of IUCB are public and political representation and protection of consumers rights and interests.
- provision, guarantee and protection of consumers rights;
- research and spreading of information on consumers problems and issues;
- encouraging of partnership between consumers organizations and other public,branch/business and state institutions/organizations related to the issues of consumer protection;
- supporting the process of harmonization of Bulgarian and European legislation in the area of consumer law;
- stimulation of civil initiative in the process of clearing problems and issues in the consumer area;
- raising the consumer culture and life standards of Bulgarian citizens;
The main priorities of our activity are:
- the quality and safety of goods and services for mass consumption and especially
- goods and services provided by food and pharmaceutical industries;
- struggle for equal rights for consumers and businesses providing public/social services
- electricity and heating, telephone, water supply and sewage systems;
- research and popularizing of ecologically important characteristics of goods and services, their environmental impact and the effect of their manufacture on the ecological ballance;
- protection of the rights of certain groups of consumers/consumer interests
- those of the physically disabled people, of children, of citizens of minor age, of pregnant women etc.;
- publishing of research results on the effect upon consumers of the consumption of certain goods and services and drawing the attention of control and legislative organs of the state to these results;
The activity spheres that we focus on are:
• organizing of information and education campaigns clarifying the rights and contemporary responsibilities of consumers towards the environment, the society, the economy;
• development of programs and projects for creation of efficient practices for participation and representation of consumers in the process of taking decisions for provision and protection of their interests;
• creation of efficient working mechanisms for response to complaints and demands from the consumers;
• creation of system for fast information exchange about the quality and prices of goods and services in Bulgaria;
• presentation of foreign cultural models of consumption and their social values;
• initiation and organizing of workshops, discussions and conferences concerning the problems of consumer law;
IUCB carries out workshops and mutual activities with branch organizations of manufacturers and sales businesses with the idea to discuss directly consumer problems with manufacturers and merchants. IUCB protects the rights and interests of its individual and collective members before state, judicial, non-judicial and public institutions.
The offering of goods and services for mass consumption is being liberalized worldwide; Internet services and trade are being introduced fast. This situation demands open international co-operation of organizations providing consumer rights. The Consumers union wishes to establish contacts and co-operation with independent national, regional and international organizations protecting consumer rights in Europe.
5 Pirotska Str. Fl. 4, Office 8-9,
phone/fax +359 2 981 67 77,
mobile +359 883 313269
E-mail: consumers_bg@mail.bg
INDEPENDENT UNION OF CONSUMERS IN BULGARIA
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