The Danish Consumer Council

The Danish Consumer Council represents the interests of consumers and is independent of public authorities and commercial interests. Founded in 1947, the Consumer Council is the spokesperson for consumers' interests, lobbying vis-a-vis the Government, the Parliament, public authorities and the business community.

Consumer demands

Consumer policy entails the promotion of consumer rights as expressed in the following eight consumer demands:

- the right to health and safety
- the right to consumer education
- the right to choose
- the right to the satisfaction of basic needs
- the right to be heard
- the right to redress
- the right to be informed
- the right to a healthy and sustainable environment.

The Consumers' Watchdog

The Consumer Council is involved in a wide range of consumer issues: food quality, environmental protection, health services, financial and legal services and issues connected with media, telecommunications, universal services, etc.

Today, the consumer has become a central concern of government and business and an increasing number of consumers are paying attention to the quality of the goods, ethics and the environmental concerns. Both public authorities and the business sector are influenced by this development. However, the individual consumer cannot stand alone. Hence, the Danish Consumer Council operates as a professional and effective consumer organization as to articulate the consumer views and promote consumer rights.

Active Consumer Policy

The Consumer Council represents the consumers - in councils, on boards and committees and vis-à-vis the Government and the Parliament. The Consumer Council is represented on more than 200 committees, boards and councils dealing with matters important to consumers.

The Consumer Council has an extensive dialogue with the business community. This contact has among other things led to the establishment of several private complaint boards covering sectors such as insurance, banking and investments, travel and construction.

Internationally, the Consumer Council is represented in the European Consumer Organization, BEUC, putting pressure on decision-makers within the European Union to take into account the interests of the consumers. Through the international consumer organization, Consumers International, the Danish Consumer Council works to further consumer interests at the global level in the UN, WHO and WTO.

Organization

The council's highest decision-making body is the assembly, which determines the overall consumer policy guidelines.

The council consists of representatives from 25 national organizations, such as household and women's organizations, organizations representing youth and the elderly, environmental organizations, trade unions and educational organizations. Local consumer groups are also represented on the council.

The daily work is performed by a secretariat of about 60 staff members.

Finances

The Consumer Council's main sources of income are the consumer magazine Tænk ("Think") and an annual subsidy on the Finance Act.

Think before You act

Since 1964 the Consumer Council has published Tænk ("Think"), Denmark's only independent consumer magazine.

Tænk informs readers about technical, environmental and economic aspects of products and services. Tænk participates in the international consumer co-operation on tests so as to provide readers with information about different products tested at recognized European laboratories.

Tænk also keeps consumers informed about consumer rights, prices and services both public and private, paying special attention to financial services.

Tænk has always excelled in starting debates about important consumer questions which often gets extensive coverage in the media.