The German Advisory Council for Consumer Affairs (SVRV) was established 10 years ago, on November 12, 2014. The interdisciplinary panel of experts consists of seven scientists and two practitioners and is based at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The Advisory Council supports the Federal Government by providing evidence-based advice on consumer policy issues, develops specific recommendations for action and communicates these to the public. Specifically, the Advisory Council has dealt with topics such as consumer scoring, platform regulation and the effectiveness of the coronavirus warning app in recent years. Most recently, it devoted itself to a multi-year analysis of the energy crisis from the perspective of households, developed proposals for nationwide natural hazard insurance, examined approaches to improve consumer information, promoted sustainable consumption and dealt with various aspects of digitalization.
Federal Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke explained on the occasion of the anniversary: “Increasingly networked and globalized markets open up opportunities, but also present us consumers with risks. For ten years, the German Advisory Council for Consumer Affairs has been accompanying these developments as an important source of ideas for consumer protection policy. Its members provide valuable impetus with scientifically sound expertise and practical solutions. For example, the Consumer Council addressed the issue of consumer scoring at an early stage, made important proposals for platform regulation and presented work on the right to repair. The Council reveals where there is a need for action and the expectations of consumers”.