Poland has taken up the presidency of the International Consumer and Enforcement Network (ICPEN). A conference which shall take place in October and will concern, among other things, the rights of airline passengers, will inaugurate Poland’s presidency over the organization’s works

The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network - ICPEN was established in 1992 in order to prevent and counteract unfair marketing practices of international scope. Its main activity is aimed at the enhancement and improvement of enforcement of provisions protecting the rights of weaker market participants, especially in relation to cross-border transactions, particularly those carried out via electronic means. The exchange of information within the Network enables effective conduct of investigations and court cases against unfair and unreliable enterprises. Institutions responsible for the protection of consumers from 33 countries around the world belong to ICPEN.

Last year in November the candidacy of Poland to take over the Network presidency was accepted unanimously. Poland formally began the ICPEN presidency on 1 August. In October this year, our country will organize an international conference on the rights of airline passengers, on out-of-court resolutions of cross-border disputes and on internet fraud.

The results of ICPEN projects will also be presented in October. One of them is the Internet Sweep Day. UOKiK has been taking part in this project since 2002. So far, Websites have been inspected with reference to illegal and misleading advertising of mobile telephony services addressed to children and adolescents, as well as sites offering "quick profit”, paramedical products and tourist services. In effect many letters, which called for changes of the Websites contents to make them legal, have been sent to entrepreneurs, most of whom have adjusted their Websites in accordance with UOKiK demands.

In March this year, within a different ICPEN initiative - the Fraud Prevention Month - UOKiK organized a range of actions aimed at enhancement of knowledge relating to legal possibilities of combating unwanted mail sent by the Internet (spam). On the initiative of UOKiK, and in cooperation with the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, a meeting of Internet service providers was held in order to coordinate actions relating to combating spam and initiate works on the code of good practice in this field. Additionally, UOKiK with the Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK) has organized trainings for prosecutors on the prosecution of Internet criminals and on combating unwanted commercial emails.

UOKiK is also the Polish administrator of the international Website www.econsumer.gov, which is an on-line international mechanism of complaint submission to the ICPEN. Consumers who have been the victims of such unfair practices in the Internet may register their complaint via this Website. As the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC), responsible for the coordination of this project, has stated, the number of signals is growing rapidly - from 817 in 2001 to over 11 thousand last year.

Additional information:
Elżbieta Anders, Spokesperson of UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel. 22 827 28 92, 55 60 106, 55 60 314
faks 22 826 11 86

E-mail eanders@uokik.gov.pl