The “Permanent Forum” project, implemented by ADICAE, Asociación de Usuarios de Bancos, Cajas y Seguros (Spain), together with the INKA Consumers Association (Greece), Associazione Consumatori Piemonte (Italy) and Verbraucher-Zentrale Hamburg e.V. (Germany), shows how the European single market has many benefits, but also many risks for European consumers specially in the context of financial products and services, that are gradually more complex and are constantly changing.

ADICAE has created this program to focus on the study of the regulations that affect consumers of financial services in the European Community.

This ambitious project deals with several important issues:

Situation of European and national legislation of financial services: Summary of the main international and national problems with legislation in relation to consumers.

Consumer credit: Current situation and proposals to amend European and national laws.

Mortgage credit: Requirements and obstacles for the European legislative harmonization.

Over-indebtedness: Legal protection for European consumers from familiar economic bankruptcy.

Payment systems and distance contracts for financial services: For a complete regulation of the new technologies for consumers, and security and fraud problems.

Small shareholder as consumers: The new concept of saver–investor, legal protection in Europe and the rules of participation and representation.

Investment in tangible goods: Consumer access to non-regulated markets.

Claims and insurance coverage: Insurance legislation and European consumer problems.

Guarantee Funds in financial services: Consumer defence in cases of insolvency of banks, insurance companies and investment services.

General conditions of financial contracts: Binding contracts and legal and administrative injunction actions.

Access to justice of users of financial services: Judicial and extra-judicial defence.

Codes of Conduct, transparency and self-regulation: Two ways of protecting European consumers, legislation and self-regulation.