Slovene Consumers Association SCA

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Slovene Consumers Association - SCA Dr. Tanja
Pajk ontar Stakeholder meeting between
SAFEFOODERA and Consumer groups Brussels, 15. -
16. March 2007

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Who are we?

• SCA
• NGO , indepedent and autonomous
• founded by members in 1990
• Aim protection of consumer interests and rights
• Founder of the consumer magazine VIP (in 1991)

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Main activities

• Consumer advice and information
• Advocacy
• Legal aid
• Consumer education
• International co-operation
• International Consumer Research Institute (ICORI)
  - 1993
• Consumer International (CI) - 1991
• The European Consumer's Organisation (BEUC)

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Who is a consumer?

• Buys a product or service for own use, not
  for sale
• Child, parent
• Young, adult
• Professional, Housewife
• Healthy, sick ...
• Vulnerable grops???

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Consumers are confused!
Consumer needs science based evidence properly
communicated (education, information, labelling)
and assessed (coctail)
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Risk, uncertainty and consumer

• Consumers perceive risk differently and diversely
  from experts
• Expert objectively assessed, managed and
  communicated
• Consumer subjective - affected by beliefs,
  trust, human nature, social status, education...

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Risk, uncertainty and consumer

• SCA and BEUC emphasis
• Risk-benefit analysis should be clearly
  explained to consumers
• Impact on health, choice, environment,
• trade and competitiveness

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Consumers choice

• European consumer makes a choice of foodstuffs
  on
• Quality 42
• Price 40
• Taste 31
• Pleasure 29
• Hunger 27
• Health 19
• Food safety 8

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European consumers perspective

• SCA and BEUC emphasis
• Achieve the right balance between innovation and
  consumer protection by improving the
  understanding, communication and management of
  risk and uncertainty

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Thank you!