European Economic and Social Committee endorse new opinion on collaborative consumption

On 21 January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) endorsed a new opinion on collaborative or participatory consumption and called for further action at EU level. The opinion acknowledges opportunities for consumer and businesses as well as the positive potential social and environmental impact of Collaborative Consumption. Rapporteur and EESC member Bernardo Hernández Bataller, featured in a pioneer interview that was published on this website last December, commented that: “There is a clear need to provide information and to raise awareness about collaborative consumption. Collaborative consumption can meet social needs in situations where there is no commercial interest and it can help, as a for-profit activity, to create jobs.” However, given the complexity and scale of the emergence of collaborative consumption, the EESC wishes to:

• regulate practice within these forms of consumption, in order to establish the rights and responsibilities of all the stakeholders involved;
• identify any potential barriers to these activities;
• set up a database to pool experience.

Several European Collaborative Consumption curators are involved in this process.

Source:  http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.press-releases.30595#_ftn1