New horizons for consumers’ protection: the ECJ goes faster than the EU legislator

Consumers in Europe require a high level of protection, especially in times of financial crisis. Although much has been done to address this problem, more efforts are needed. The mechanisms for the safeguard of consumers’ interests must evolve to keep pace with the development of unfair practices performed by firms and traders. For many years, the EU legislator has offered a great contribution to the improvement of consumers’ economic welfare. But more recently, it seems that the European Court of Justice has taken the lead, not only clarifying the existing rules, but also extending the scope of consumers’ protection.