Consumer protection

This unit will examine the emergence of transnational private regulatory regimes in a number of areas affecting consumers including fair trade, internet sites and food safety. Particular attention will be devoted to the relationship between consumer protection and internet governance. Mainly related with the research questions 2 and 3. Case studies are:

• 1.1 Food safety regulation in evolving market economies
  This case study focusing on horizontal complementarity (regional systems and private regulatory regimes) will involve the building of a cross national data base that measures the relative institutional capacities to privately regulated regimes and support new food safety measures in selected countries in order to evaluate the role of domestic and international factors that have shaped these trends.
• 1.2 CSR and private regulation in the food industry
  The use of different forms of private and co-regulation in the food industry will be investigated and compared, focusing on the wine and spirit industry, and the development of transnational private standards for food in GlobalGap. Focus on negotiated rule-making and risk allocation along the supply chain.
• 1.3 CSR, advertisements and digital media
  In collaboration with the International Council of EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance) the use of self-regulation concerning advertisement in digital media will be analysed, focussing in particular on compliance and enforcement mechanisms and contrasting legal and non legal sanctions.