ACR Malta Executive Committee 2024

President: Ms Pauline Azzopardi B.Sc. (Hons), A.C.I.I., PFS (Cert.) Chartered Insurer, CeFA
Vice President: Ms Cynthia Busuttil Dip. Gender, Work & Society, ACR Facebook Webpage administrator
Hon General Secretary: Ms Grace Attard MQR, EESC CCMI delegate
Deputy General Secretary: Catherine Camilleri PGCE(Social Studies) BA (Hons)Public Admin,Cert Env. Mangt, TUNS. Licensed Tree Care Specialist (ERA), MCESD Civil Society Committee
Hon Treasurer: Eugenie Grech
Members Secretary: Marilyn Muscat Rubio

Mission Statement

The Association is committed to safeguard the interests of consumers in Malta in all aspects. The Association shall use all its resources to achieve this aim.

Objectives

To act as a pressure group and see that legislation beneficial to consumers is enacted and relevant measures are implemented in an active and effective manner.
To create consumer awareness with regards to products, services and methods of production which may be supplied both by the private and public sector.
To represent consumers in the preparation, formulation and implementation of relevant policies in order to safeguard their interests.
To assist consumers in seeking adequate redress and compensation resulting from the purchase of goods and services.
To ensure that consumers are offered quality services including product safety, adequate standards and the protection of the environment.
To ensure that decisions taken and criteria adopted by the respective authorities at national, European and global level are accessible to the consumers
To monitor market practices with the aim of bringing them to the attention of the relevant authorities with the aim of curbing any unfair commercial practice.
To provide recommendations to the Authorities regarding standards regulating advertising.

ACR Malta is involved in the following main areas:

Consumer Product Safety Regulation
European Accessibility Act
Cross border consumer services complaints data
Chemicals in consumer products
Market Surveillance Regulations
Sustainable Repair and Durability of Products
Sustainable Pensions in Malta
Addressing the Challenges of the Digital Future
Sustainability requirements for batteries in the EU
The involvement and participation of older people in society
Industrial product lifetimes and consumer information
Consumers in the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic and the short and long term impact on society
Protecting the Public’s Right to Access Public Land and Pathways in Malta
The role of industry in the health sector

ACR Malta consults with the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) and the European Consumer Centre (ECC).

Association for Consumer Rights Malta membership at European and local level

European level

ANEC – the European consumer voice in standardisation

One of the first initiatives of the organisation was the process of enrolling the Association for Consumer Rights Malta (ACR Malta) as member organisation of ANEC, a European Consumer Standardisation Agency. ACR Malta General Secretary, Grace Attard, is currently the representative organization on ANEC. ACR Malta has established a direct link with ANEC since 2012. The ANEC Steering Committee, and the Secretariat, regularly provide ACR Malta with developments on Consumer Rights and standardisation in implementing EU Directives and emerging areas of concern.

At the ANEC 2021 AGM, Grace Attard was re-elected ANEC member of a number of working groups including the Digital Society Working Group, The Accessibility Working Group, Domestic Appliances, Child Safety, among others. The Working Groups are made up of representatives of EU organizations working on consumer affairs, representatives of Industry and various Civil Society organisations to address emerging issues besides dealing with best practices to improve standards where necessary.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) / Consultative Committee on Industrial Change (CCMI)

During the January 2016 EESC Plenary Session, Grace Attard’s nomination by ANEC as delegate on the CCMI Committee on consumer affairs, was accepted. During the January 2021 EESC Plenary Session, Grace Attard’s was re-appointed as delegate.

CCMI ensures that standards in Industry in all EU Member States respect the needs of consumers and that there is balance between consumers and industry in policies and practices.

Strategies and topics discussed include the New European Green Deal, The Circular Economy Action Plan, Industrial product lifetimes and addressing product planned obsolescence, Safety of Lifts, Child Safety, Critical Raw Materials Resilience, sustainability requirements for batteries in the EU and others.

Association of Former EESC Members (AFM)

Grace Attard, representing ACR Malta, is a member of the AFM and was elected Vice-President of the Bureau of Association for EESC Former members (AFM) in 2018.

The role of the AFM is to be the link between the EESC and the EESC Former members and to keep them in touch with the initiatives of the EESC.

AFM also publishes news and articles received from former EESC members in the newsletter CONNECT.

The European Consumer Union (ECU)

Grace Attard, representing ACR Malta, has been a member of the European Consumer Organisation (ECU) since 2017. Activities included a survey on measures to reduce plastic pollution and meetings discussing the role of consumer organisations in putting in practice the European Green Deal. ACR has been involved in ECU projects such as BIOnTOP, whose objective is to create recyclable and cost competitive packaging solutions that can be mechanically recycled and industrially/home composted.

EIOPA – Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group (OPSG) and Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group (IRSG)

In July 2020, Pauline Azzopardi was elected on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) representing insurance consumers and pension beneficiaries. The first meetings of the two separate stakeholder groups – Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group (IRSG) and the Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group (OPSG) - were held in July and September 2020. Amongst other topics, the new Pan European Personal Pension was discussed and the regulation was launched in August 2020. Topics on financial sustainability of insurance companies and pension providers were discussed along with the effect of digitalization on these industries. Read ACR Malta’s contribution to the EIOPA 2020 CONSUMER TRENDS REPORT.

ACR Malta President, Pauline Azzopardi, was also appointed on the Consumer Policy Advisory Group (CPAG) in 2020. The CPAG advises the Commission on the implementation as well as the monitoring of the new consumer agenda. The CPAG is made up representatives of consumer organisations, the business sector, experts in finance and a wide range of prestigious organizations.

Local level

Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) Civil Society (CS)

ACR Malta Assistant Secretary Marie Demicoli and alternate member Catherine Polidano were re-appointed as representative and substitute respectively of the Consumers Sector on the MCESD Civil Society Committee.

Through the MCESD CS, ACR Malta promotes consumer rights and consumer protection and addresses the needs of various sectors of society by submitting proposals such as regarding the reform of the pensions system, the annual national budget, agriculture, environment, the transition to a digital society, easier access to make retail payments for the disabled and the older generations, cyber security for connected products, and measures that Malta should take in transitioning to post-Covid-19.

ACR Malta is also actively involved in consultation sessions on Government White Papers on various topics, through the MCESD CS.

EU Commission Transparency Register

ACR Malta is listed on the EU Commission Transparency Register. This register is a database that lists organisations that seek to influence the law-making and policy implementation process of the EU institutions.

The register makes visible what interests are being pursued, by whom and with what budgets. In this way, the register allows for public scrutiny, giving citizens and other interest groups the possibility to track the activities of lobbyists. The Transparency Register is updated annually.

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