Consumer protection at the forefront: Key insights from the international conference

The first international scientific conference, “Consumer protection: Integrated approaches in the legal system”, took place on 13–14 March 2025, organised with the financial support of the European Union and the Soros Foundation Moldova, in the context of World Consumer Rights Day, marked annually on 15 March. The event was initiated by the NGO “European Consumer Centre of the Republic of Moldova”, in partnership with the “Ștefan cel Mare” Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, and “1 December 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania.

The conference was held in a hybrid format, bringing together experts, representatives of public institutions, academia, consumer protection organisations, and international donors. The opening session featured remarks by Cristina Ceban, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation; Julda Kielyte, Team Leader for Competitiveness and Economic Growth at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova; and Stephanie Darmanin, Policy Officer for Consumer Law Enforcement – Cross-Border Cooperation, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission.

Experts highlighted the importance of a robust legal framework and active cooperation between authorities, academia, and civil society to ensure consumer rights are respected and upheld.

Dinu Ostavciuc, Rector of the “Ștefan cel Mare” Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Doctor Habilitatus in Law, Associate Professor, and Chief Police Commissioner, delivered the opening address at the conference. He noted that throughout history, consumer protection has been a responsibility of the authorities—an idea reflected even in the earliest historical records, such as the Code of Hammurabi. Today, the need to uphold consumer rights is more relevant than ever, particularly in light of new risks emerging in the digital age and through online commerce. “The ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ Academy supports this conference out of a desire to encourage collaboration between academia, public authorities, and civil society, with the aim of identifying solutions that ensure transparency, safety, and the protection of consumer rights—regardless of the environment in which transactions occur. Through constructive dialogue and the exchange of best practices, we hope to contribute to the development of a modern legislative framework that meets today’s economic challenges and aligns with European standards,” he said.

Victoria Cociug, Vice-Rector for Research and Partnerships at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM), PhD, Associate Professor, spoke about the reasons why the institution chose to be a partner in organising the scientific conference. She stated: “We are living in a context where consumer rights are increasingly challenged by digitalisation, globalisation, and the evolution of financial and commercial markets. From e-commerce and online contracts to personal data protection and transparency in financial services, consumers must benefit from a clear, functional, and well-regulated legal system. Today, we can no longer speak of consumer protection as an isolated issue governed solely by commercial legislation or oversight authorities. It is essential to adopt a multidimensional approach that includes clear legal regulations, effective enforcement tools, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and legal and financial education. As a partner institution ‘committed to the future’, ASEM brings extensive experience to the table — through academic programmes focused on consumer rights, research in the field, highly qualified teaching staff, and above all, through its strong awareness of the importance of promoting consumer protection principles among the younger generation.”

Daniel Metz, Vice-Rector of the “1 December 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania, Habilitated Doctor, Professor, reiterated that: “Consumer protection is not just about laws — it is equally about the safety and rights of each of us. We need to find solutions to ensure that every person is informed and able to make decisions based on knowledge. This conference is an important step toward bringing these rights closer to people and ensuring access to safe products and services.”

Mihaela Pascal, Executive Director of the European Consumer Centre in the Republic of Moldova — the institution that organised the event — stated: “The launch of the first edition of this international conference, initiated by the European Consumer Centre as a consumer protection organisation, marks a major step in strengthening the consumer protection framework in the Republic of Moldova. This comes at a crucial stage in the country’s European integration process. To address today’s challenges, we need an integrated approach involving authorities, academia, civil society, and development partners both in the country and in the EU. This conference provided the ideal platform for constructive dialogue, helping to identify legislative solutions, promote international best practices, and enable the exchange of experience among experts from various fields.”

During the opening session of the conference on 14 March, Stephanie Darmanin, Policy Officer for Consumer Law Enforcement – Cross-border Cooperation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, delivered a welcome address. In her speech, she provided a comprehensive overview of the EU’s consumer protection framework and outlined the main challenges the Commission faces in its implementation. Additionally, she presented future plans and upcoming regulatory initiatives outlined in the EU agenda aimed at further strengthening consumer protection. Stephanie Darmanin welcomed the establishment of the European Consumer Centre in the Republic of Moldova and emphasised the readiness of the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers to support the country in reinforcing its national consumer protection framework.

The official also commended the organisers for successfully ensuring the international character of the forum and highlighted the importance of holding such events.

The scientific conference served as an important platform for the exchange of experience and expertise among legal professionals, economists, public authorities, and civil society representatives. The conclusions of the forum will be reflected in future legislative and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving consumer protection in the Republic of Moldova and will also be included in a forthcoming scientific publication.

The conference materials will be published in the journal Scientific Annals of the “Ștefan cel Mare” Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, thus consolidating the outcomes of the discussions and providing a valuable reference point for future research and initiatives in the field.

The conference was organised as part of the project “Consolidating the consumer protection framework in Moldova”, implemented by the Independent Analytical Centre Expert-Grup as consortium lead, in partnership with the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, and funded by the European Union and the Soros Foundation Moldova.