World Consumer Rights Day 2023 [coverage]

12:56 16.03.2023

Created by Department of Consumer Research, english version: Internationalization Office

World Consumer Rights Day 2023 [coverage]

On March 15, 2023, the University of Economics in Katowice celebrated World Consumer Rights Day. Through this annual event, we want to make our students and alumni both conscious consumers and aware, honest entrepreneurs. A special panel discussion with experts was held on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, during which the #worldconsumerrightsday contest for #UEKatowice students was concluded.

Celebrating World Consumer Rights Day

World Consumer Rights Day aims to raise awareness of consumer rights, protection and empowerment. On this day, consumer organizations and institutions around the world remind that people are important market participants, that they have rights and responsibilities, and that their voice should be heard and respected by businesses.

The 2023 topics focused on the rights and situation of the consumer in the energy market.

The event held at our University was carried out in English and broadcast live on the #UEKatowice YouTube channel.

Broadcast

Discussion panel

On the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, a special discussion panel was organized at the our University, entitled "Clean Energy – Empowering Consumers Through The Transition".

The event was officially opened by Prof. Sławomir Smyczek, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Education and International Relations, who began his speech by recounting the origins of the establishment of World Consumer Day, and then introduced the participants of the panel discussion, namely:

Associate Professor Marzena Czarnecka, Ph.D.
Grzegorz Lot – Management Board of Polenergia Sprzedaż,
Adrian Sienicki – Vice-President of Veolia Energia Łódź S.A.
Olgierd Świerzewski – Vice-President of the Management Board of Energa - Obrót.

Together with the invited experts, discussed were new solutions on the wider energy market offered to consumers, and shared practical experiences regarding to what extent and with what effects consumers can benefit from these solutions. The protection of consumer rights and their energy education during the transition to clean energy were also important points of discussion.

The following topics were discussed:

Clean energy – facts and myths and consequences for consumers.
Threats that consumer is expose on transition energy market.
Energy companies' practices requiring customer protection, including misleading and agrressive commercial practices.
Actions to be undertaken by government and consumer organizations to protect consumers interests on clean energy market.

Contest results

As part of World Consumer Rights Day, #UEKatowice students were invited to participate in a contest to create a short social media video commenting on selected consumer rights issues in an engaging way.

Special awards were presented to:

Martyna Klewar for video: World Consumer Rights Day,
Zuzanna Żymełka for video: Consumer rights are your rights,
Karolina Wojtasik for video: Customer Protection Rights,
Laura Jurowicz for video: Indicating the importance of knowing consumer rights and institutions implementing consumer policy.

First, second, and third degree cash prizes were awarded to:

1st degree prize – Amelia Majnusz for video: Violation of Consumer rights,
2nd degree award – Octavian Gajewicz for video: Your data was sold,
3rd degree award – Igor Mateja for video: Violation of Consumer rights.

Our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners!

The event concluded with a screening of the award-winning video and acknowledgements to the participants and organizers of the event by Vice-Rector for Education and International RelationsProf. Sławomir Smyczek, Ph.D., and the Head of the Department of Consumer Research.