Federal Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) wants to take action against hidden price increases in the retail sector. Corresponding regulations are to be introduced as part of the amendment to the Packaging Act.
(AFP) „Deceptive packaging is a major nuisance, consumers are being misled“, Lemke told the „Handelsblatt“ according to a preliminary report on Saturday.
According to Lemke, it should be clearly regulated in future „that packaging of the same size with reduced contents is not permitted“. The same applies if the contents remain the same and the packaging is enlarged. „Such practices are problematic both from the point of view of consumer protection and waste avoidance,“ emphasised Lemke.
A draft bill is currently going through the government's internal departmental coordination process. SPD consumer politician Carsten Träger called the proposed change to the law a „necessary step for environmental and consumer protection“. It would make it clear „that less filling quantity with the same packaging size is inadmissible“, Träger told the Handelsblatt newspaper.
FDP consumer politician Katharina Willkomm opposed the coalition partner's legislative plans. „In a free market economy, manufacturers are free to determine the price of their goods and the size of the packaging or to change both,“ Willkomm told the newspaper. „There is no need for a legal ban on shrinkage.“
In addition, there is sufficient social control through negative prices such as the „cheat pack of the year“ from the consumer advice centres, said the FDP politician. „Consumers who feel cheated by the product should consistently switch brands the next time they shop.“
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© Agence France-Presse
