Consumer Code (Law No. 296).

This Law is centered on the protection of consumer rights within the framework of the national legislation. Its primary objectives include regulating the legal relationships between economic agents and consumers regarding the purchase of goods and services, ensuring access to accurate information about these products, and safeguarding consumers against abusive practices. Key legal principles highlighted include the protection of consumer interests, the promotion of fair commercial practices, and the establishment of a legal framework that supports consumer education and awareness. The document outlines several significant measures aimed at enhancing consumer protection. These include the obligation for authorities to investigate consumer complaints promptly while respecting legal rights and confidentiality. It emphasizes the need for proportionality in sanctions, ensuring that penalties correspond to the severity of violations. Additionally, it mandates that contracts between traders and consumers must contain clear and unambiguous terms, and that information regarding services, prices, and contractual conditions must be communicated transparently to consumers to prevent misunderstandings. The implementation of the Consumer Code involves various institutional responsibilities, including the central authority for consumer protection, which is tasked with enforcing compliance and overseeing consumer education programs. The document also addresses procedural considerations, such as the confidentiality of personal data and the requirement for authorities to maintain professional secrecy during inspections. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of stakeholder involvement in the development of consumer protection policies, ensuring that consumer needs and expectations are adequately represented in regulatory frameworks. The packaging of the products must ensure the integrity and protection of their quality, while also complying with the legal provisions relating to labor protection, the environment and consumer safety. Economic agents are obliged to market food which: (a) are accompanied by documents attesting their origin, provenance and safety, as appropriate; (b) are handled and marketed under appropriate hygienic conditions, which do not endanger the life and health of consumers and which comply with the sanitary regulations in force; (c) do not affect the life and health of consumers. It is prohibited to market products that imitate food products, without being such products and which present the risk of endangering the health or safety of consumers, according to the legal regulations in force.