FTC, OECD Announce New Policymaking Guide To Help Consumer and Regulatory Authorities Around the World

The Federal Trade Commission hosted a roundtable presentation of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's just-published Consumer Policy Toolkit at FTC headquarters.

This publication will help government policy makers around the world who strive to protect and empower consumers in an increasingly complex global marketplace. The Consumer Policy Toolkit provides advice for consumer protection authorities and other regulators to help them determine where markets may be failing consumers, and what steps they can take in response. This guide outlines a comprehensive six-step process for choosing the best consumer protection policies, and describes a range of policy options that government officials can use to address consumer problems. Included in the publication are examples drawn from the experiences of more than 20 countries. Today's consumers face unique opportunities - and challenges -from a broader range of increasingly complex products, more global trade, and the development of the Internet. "The Toolkit will help consumer protection authorities make well-informed policies to protect consumers from unfair practices in the modern marketplace," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. "It will also be a valuable resource for those setting policy for finance, telecommunications, food, drug, and product safety matters."