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Weather in Malta

15.3°C scattered clouds

scattered clouds

Time Zones:

New York

Malta

Shanghai

" Serving the world...

...from Malta "

Maltese M.E.P. Wins 632 Out of 636 Votes

16 / 12 / 08

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A report by Simon Busuttil, one of the Maltese five members of the European Parliament, was adopted by the European Parliament last Monday by 632 votes in favour and only 4 votes against.

 

The report emphasises on awareness so that fewer businesses become victims of the latest trend whereby they unintentionally sign up to a listing in a business directory costing them several hundreds of Euros a year. The aim of the report is to enable victims to report to clearly identifiable authorities to make a complaint and seek a remedy. Thousands of businesses fell and still fall victim to such scams based on misleading advertising.

 

Other objectives listed in the report are:

 

 

• To ensure that existing EU laws on misleading advertising scams are adequately enforced in EU countries.

• To tighten existing EU law so that it can address such scams more directly.

 

A number of Maltese companies have been reported to have been caught out by this scam.  The European Parliament received nearly 500 complaints mainly from small businesses across the EU.  The requests stated a directory known as the European City Guide amongst the main culprits. In fact, while addressing the plenary session of the European Parliament Dr Busuttil was reported to state that the said European City Guide lobbied extensively to undermine the report although it failed in its endeavours.   It is understood that other petitions referred to Construct Data Verlag, Deutscher Adressdienst GmbH and Nova Channel.

 

 

Dr Busuttil was quoted as saying that “It is not enough to say that it is for individual EU countries to implement EU law”.  He concluded by wanting to send two messages which are being quoted hereunder as reported:

 

 

“The first is for victims of business scams: we have taken note of your concern and we are squarely behind you. The second is for the misleading directory companies themselves: your time is running out. Stop the scam immediately because from now on the European Parliament is watching you closely.”

Maltese M.E.P. Wins 632 Out of 636 Votes

16 / 12 / 08

Share Article on 

A report by Simon Busuttil, one of the Maltese five members of the European Parliament, was adopted by the European Parliament last Monday by 632 votes in favour and only 4 votes against.

 

The report emphasises on awareness so that fewer businesses become victims of the latest trend whereby they unintentionally sign up to a listing in a business directory costing them several hundreds of Euros a year. The aim of the report is to enable victims to report to clearly identifiable authorities to make a complaint and seek a remedy. Thousands of businesses fell and still fall victim to such scams based on misleading advertising.

 

Other objectives listed in the report are:

 

 

• To ensure that existing EU laws on misleading advertising scams are adequately enforced in EU countries.

• To tighten existing EU law so that it can address such scams more directly.

 

A number of Maltese companies have been reported to have been caught out by this scam.  The European Parliament received nearly 500 complaints mainly from small businesses across the EU.  The requests stated a directory known as the European City Guide amongst the main culprits. In fact, while addressing the plenary session of the European Parliament Dr Busuttil was reported to state that the said European City Guide lobbied extensively to undermine the report although it failed in its endeavours.   It is understood that other petitions referred to Construct Data Verlag, Deutscher Adressdienst GmbH and Nova Channel.

 

 

Dr Busuttil was quoted as saying that “It is not enough to say that it is for individual EU countries to implement EU law”.  He concluded by wanting to send two messages which are being quoted hereunder as reported:

 

 

“The first is for victims of business scams: we have taken note of your concern and we are squarely behind you. The second is for the misleading directory companies themselves: your time is running out. Stop the scam immediately because from now on the European Parliament is watching you closely.”