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Regulators advise on Brexit and consumer protection rights

11 July 2017

The EU Justice Sub-Committee continues with its inquiry into Brexit: consumer protection rights. Mr Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and Dr Scott Steedman, Director of Standards, the British Standards Institution give evidence at the third oral evidence session.

Witnesses

Tuesday 11 July in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster

At 10.45am

  • Mr Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and;

  •  Dr Scott Steedman CBE, Director of Standards, the British Standards Institution

Background and topics for discussion

Questions will focus on:

  • The role the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and British Standards Institution play in protecting consumers both nationally and across the EU's single market and the  role the EU plays in facilitating this task.
  • The extent to which Brexit poses a danger to each respective organisation's ability to protect UK consumers here and (once we leave) the danger to UK consumers that continue to operate within the EU's single market.
  • Possible concerns that addressing the issue of consumer protection  has not, so far, appeared in any detail in the Government's Brexit plans.
  • What advice the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTI) and British Standards Institution (BSI) would give the Government in its conduct of the Brexit negotiations in this field and their view of the Government's promise that national legislation dealing with Brexit "will preserve the relevant EU [consumer protection] law to ensure domestic law functions properly after exit ... It will help ensure that UK consumers' rights continue to be robust after we have left the EU".
  • Whether Brexit will lead to a diminution or an increase in the consumer protection standards currently operating in the UK and are the CTI and BSI concerned about the impact of Brexit on the areas of the UK economy regulated by your organisations?
  • The possible impact the UK's departure from the EU will have on the remaining Member States' adherence to current consumer protection standards and any concerns about a post-Brexit reduction in consumer protection standards in the EU 27.

Further information

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