Smp-cons-2022-cpc

Calls for proposals for action grants and action grants of exceptional utility in 2021 and 2022 for co-operation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection law will aim at supporting the activities of national authorities and other relevant bodies notified under the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/2394) to tackle breaches of the laws listed in the Annex of this Regulation.

The action grants defined on the basis of the calls for proposal can support a wide range of activities for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2017/2394, such as:

• implementation and operation of all the minimum investigation and enforcement powers outlined in the CPC regulation under article 9;

• operation of the external alert mechanism under Article 27 of the CPC Regulation;

• exchange of good practices between consumer law enforcement authorities from different Member States;

• co-operation with other public authorities in the same Member State;

• creation of online tools;

• staff training;

• networking tools (organisation of workshops and inter-operability tools and IT equipments to link to the Commission resources provided to the CPC network);

• legal studies;

• market surveys: for example surveys of retailers on practices that may infringe EU consumer law;

• testing equipment for example for dual quality checks.

Exceptional utility action grants defined on the basis of the call for proposals can cover:

• the above-mentioned activities and should involve at least three Member States, or

• should concern specific projects which aim to tackle infringements that cause or are likely to cause harm, in two or more Member States.

The maximum level of Union contribution for all grants to national authorities is 70% of eligible costs. However, in the case of actions of exceptional utility the co-financing rate shall be increased up to 80 % of the eligible costs.