The primary objective of Norwegian consumer policy is to safeguard the rights, interests and safety of consumers. Consumer policy is cross-sectoral, encompassing issues that fall within the spheres of a variety of different ministries and affiliated agencies. The Ministry of Children and Equality is charged with ensuring the cohesive implementation of consumer policy within the government administration. The external consumer institutions and agencies also play a major role in overall consumer policy.
The Ministry of Children and Equality is responsible for key legislation involving consumer protection. Other ministries, in particular the Ministry of Justice, are also responsible for important consumer legislation. The Ministry of Children and Equality participates actively in international cooperation on consumer affairs, especially within a Nordic and EU context.
Efforts to reduce the commercial pressure on children and young people have been given high political priority, as has raising awareness among children and parents to enhance their ability to cope with the influences to which they are exposed from, for example, advertising. Other areas of focus include good systems for resolution of disputes and measures designed to reduce the risks and costs to consumers in connection with the sale of housing.
Consumer Ombudsman
The Consumer Ombudsman (CO) monitors marketing activities for goods and services from the perspective of consumers in order to ensure that such activities take place in compliance with the Marketing Control Act.
The Consumer Ombudsman is also responsible for monitoring compliance with aspects of the Broadcasting Act, including the provisions stipulating that advertisements may not specifically target children, nor may they be broadcast in connection with children's programmes. The Consumer Ombudsman is appointed by the King in Council of State. The office was first established in 1973, and is an autonomous government agency that seeks to encourage commercial actors to observe the regulatory framework. The Office of the Consumer Ombudsman has a staff of 24, and deals with somewhere in the realm of 3,500 cases each year. While most of these are the result of complaints lodged by consumers or commercial actors, the office also often takes the initiative to raise issues on its own.
Consumer Council
The Consumer Council is an independent organisation representing the interests of all consumers of goods and services in Norway. The Council works to ensure that politicians, government authorities and trade and industry seek a framework that promotes reasonable treatment of end-users. It equips the public to make the right choices as consumers and deals with complaints between consumers and suppliers of goods and services. The Consumer Council is Norway’s largest provider of free legal aid, and deals with approximately 140,000 enquiries from the public annually.
The Consumer Council’s activities are divided between exerting influence and educating and assisting consumers. The Council formulates consumer-policy viewpoints to encourage the authorities and business sector to improve conditions for consumers. It conducts information activities to enable people to deal with consumer issues themselves and plays an important role in educating public opinion. The Council also assists individuals with complains and appeals and provide pre-purchase information.
National Institute for Consumer Research
The National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO) is a resource centre for consumers. The institute is a public administrative body granted special powers of authority under the Ministry of Children and Equality. SIFO conducts research and testing activities that help to lay the foundation for further studies of key consumer issues as well as the ramifications of public measures and products available on the market. Consumer research provides a basis for achieving consumer-policy objectives, safeguarding the needs of consumers, and producing knowledge that is essential to innovation and the development of new goods and services.
Norwegian Foundation for Environmental Labelling
The Norwegian Foundation for Environmental Labelling administers both of the official ecolabelling schemes available in Norway, the Swan and the EU Ecolabel. The foundation was established by parliamentary resolution in 1989 as part of the effort to launch an official Nordic ecolabelling scheme. The Foundation is administered under the auspices of the Ministry of Children and Equality, and is headed by a board of directors comprising representatives appointed by the Ministry of Children and Equality, the Ministry of the Environment/Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, the Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, the Consumer Council, the green lifestyle organisation Grønn Hverdag and the Coop cooperatives.
By the Ministry of Children and Equality