EU Commission Presents New Five-Year Consumer Policy Roadmap

The EU Commission has unveiled its new five-year roadmap for consumer policy, outlining priorities that place sustainability, fairness, and consumer empowerment at the core of the EU agenda. The initiative aims to strengthen consumer protection across all sectors while ensuring that consumers are equipped to navigate rapid economic, environmental, and technological change.

For consumer cooperatives—whose purpose is to serve people, not profit—the roadmap represents an important opportunity to demonstrate leadership in responsible retailing, sustainability, and ethical governance.

Supporting Consumers in the Green Transition

A central focus of the roadmap is the transition to a greener, more sustainable economy. This includes stronger rules on durability, reparability, sustainability claims, and clearer environmental information. Consumer cooperatives are well positioned to respond, thanks to their long-standing investments in sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly product development, and transparent communication.

Tackling Misleading Environmental Claims

The Commission plans to intensify the fight against greenwashing, with stricter enforcement and more robust rules. Cooperatives can use this moment to highlight their commitment to honest, verifiable sustainability practices and their deep trust relationship with members.

Affordable, Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems

Food affordability, safety, and access to healthier options will remain high on the EU agenda. Cooperatives, as community-rooted retailers, already play a key role in delivering high-quality, affordable food and promoting sustainable consumption through local sourcing, product reformulation, and nutritional transparency.

Protecting Vulnerable Consumers

The roadmap reinforces measures to support consumers facing economic pressure or social vulnerability. Through price-support actions, community initiatives, and services in rural or underserved areas, consumer coops contribute directly to resilience and social inclusion.

Ensuring Strong Enforcement of Consumer Rights

The Commission aims to strengthen enforcement tools to address misleading practices, ensure product safety, and increase accountability. Consumer cooperatives—based on democratic governance and consumer ownership—can highlight their natural alignment with high compliance, transparency, and ethical retailing.

Product Safety and Responsible Online Shopping

As digital retail continues to grow, the roadmap emphasises robust product safety, transparent online information, and consumer-friendly online sales practices. Coops can showcase their strong internal product controls, safe private-label ranges, and consumer-oriented e-commerce policies.

Ethical Use of AI in Consumer Interactions

The initiative calls for safeguards around consumer-facing AI systems to prevent manipulation and ensure transparency. Cooperatives can point to their values-based approach to digital innovation, where technologies are used to benefit members rather than maximise profit.

Collaboration with Consumer Organisations

The roadmap acknowledges the essential role of consumer organisations and civil society in shaping EU policy. This provides a strategic opening for Euro Coop to amplify the voice of consumer cooperatives in the EU debate and to promote the cooperative model as a driver of fairness, transparency, and sustainability.

Euro Coop will continue monitoring the rollout of the roadmap and will support members in leveraging these developments to strengthen cooperative leadership in Europe’s transition to a fairer and more sustainable retail landscape.

Read the 2030 Consumer Agenda