On November 19, 2025, the European Commission unveiled its 2030 Consumer Agenda, setting out priorities for EU consumer policy over the next five years. Below is an overview of the six key measures most relevant to industry.

1.      Introducing Major Legislative Revisions and New Laws

The Commission will consider the following:

• Digital Fairness Act – Address gaps created by digitalization, strengthen consumer protection online, and safeguard vulnerable consumers, including minors, through a new statutory instrument. (Q4 2026)
• Electronic Communications Rules – Review the effectiveness of end-user rights and universal service under the European Electronic Communications Code. Evidence gathered may inform the forthcoming Digital Networks Act proposal. (No date indicated)
• Audiovisual Media Services Directive (2010/13/EU) –Review the Directive to ensure rules remain fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving digital media landscape. (No date indicated)
• Geo-Blocking Regulation – Consider a scope extension for rules prohibiting unjustified geo-blocking and other forms of online sales discrimination based on nationality, residence, or establishment. (Q2 2026)
• Consumer Financial Services Laws – Review resilience, simplify rules, and assess digitalization impacts, including by assessing the Payment Accounts Directive and Consumer Credit Directive, as well as revising the Payment Services Directive to potentially extend fraud prevention obligations and refund rights for victims of payment fraud. (Review by 2026–2028)
• General Product Safety Regulation – Assess its practical implementation by businesses and whether additional measures are needed to simplify compliance. (Review to be conducted in 2026)
• Rules on Tobacco Products and Advertising – Comprehensively evaluate health and marketing standards. (No date indicated)
• PFAS Ban and Packaging Rules – Ban PFAS in consumer products such as cosmetics, food-contact materials, and outdoor clothing under the European chemicals action plan. Note: PFAS restrictions in packaging are already part of the Packaging and Packaging-Waste Framework Regulation , which introduces harmonized sorting rules and digital information tools. Additional measures under the chemicals action plan may follow. (No date indicated for further PFAS measures beyond packaging)
• Circular Economy Act – Consider a forthcoming proposal to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. (No date indicated)
• Multimodal Travel Laws – Revise the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, 2015 Package Travel Directive, Passenger Rights Regulation, Air Services Regulation, Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, and Car Labelling Directive. New laws to include the Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation and Multimodal Digital Mobility Services Regulation under the Passenger Mobility Package. The Commission also plans to apply EU single market principles to the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. (Q1–Q2 2026)

2.      Tackling Territorial Supply Constraints

The Commission will develop tools to address unjustified territorial supply constraints not regulated under competition law (e.g., where the manufacturer is not dominant or involved in anti-competitive agreements), which create price disparities across Member States. (Q4 2026)

3.      Exploring Digital Solutions for Consumer Information

The Commission will explore how digital solutions can improve consumer access to product and service information while reducing administrative burdens for businesses, ensuring that essential details remain available in physical form. This will include looking into introducing digital labelling and mobile applications for real-time product data, implementing the Digital Product Passport to provide lifecycle information such as origin, composition, and repairability of products, and enabling secure data sharing across supply chains through the European Business Wallets. (No date indicated)

4.      Assessing Product Safety in Online Environments

The Commission will analyze consumer vulnerabilities in digital environments, including how consumers respond to warnings and instructions and the safety risks posed by apps, software, and other technology products. This work will also consider mental health risks and accessibility challenges for persons with disabilities, ensuring that product safety rules keep pace with technological developments and complement enforcement under the General Product Safety Regulation and the AI Act. (Ongoing)

5.      Supporting Sustainable Consumption

The Commission will assist Member States in implementing recently adopted EU laws promoting sustainable consumption, including:

• Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition;
• Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation; and
• Directive on Common Rules to Promote the Repair of Goods.

Additional measures include:

• launching a European online platform for product repair (by 2028);
• continuing to promote the EU Ecolabel; and
• exploring a Recommendation on “green-by-design” features in e-commerce (by 2027), which could include sustainability filters, greener delivery options, and sustainable return-management policies

6.      Strengthening Enforcement

The Commission will enhance enforcement mechanisms to ensure consumer protection rules are applied effectively across the EU:

• CPC Regulation Revision –Proposal to revise the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation to improve coordinated enforcement by national authorities, including potential centralized investigation and enforcement powers at EU level. (Q4 2026)
• European Product Act – A forthcoming act to update rules on market surveillance and product compliance, aiming to make enforcement more efficient, particularly for imports and e-commerce. The Commission is reviewing the New Legislative Framework—which harmonizes the rules on market access, CE marking, and conformity assessment under EU product laws—and the Market Surveillance Regulation— which establishes cooperation mechanisms and powers for authorities and customs to detect, prevent, and remove non-compliant products from the EU market. Importantly, the Commission is also considering the creation of a dedicated EU Market Surveillance Authority as part of this proposal, a point strongly emphasized during the European Consumer Day conference organized by the EESC on 1 December 2025. It will also be interesting to see how this new authority’s powers will interact with the Commission’s enforcement capabilities under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA), given the overlapping objectives of ensuring fair competition and safe digital environments. (Q3 2026)
• General Product Safety Regulation – Assessment of business implementation and potential simplification measures. (2026)
• Leveraging AI in Enforcement – Maximizing use of AI tools in enforcement and market surveillance, including through the digital investigations eLab and a digital toolbox for product safety. (By 2027)

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Covington & Burling provides comprehensive advice on all aspects of EU consumer law, including its interplay with privacy, cybersecurity, and product safety regulations. Our team is ready to assist with any questions or compliance needs related to EU consumer law.