Summary and Background Wider reforms to the consumer legislation framework
11.In addition to the Act, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 implement Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on consumer rights (commonly known as the Consumer Rights Directive (“CRD”)) in regulations made under the European Communities Act 1972. These regulations came into force on 13 June 2014. However, a small number of the CRD’s provisions are implemented in the Act, as indicated above. The CRD:
	for all contracts where a trader supplies goods, services or digital content to a consumer, requires that a trader must provide certain information (for example on the main characteristics of the goods, services and digital content) before the consumer is bound by the contract;
	specifies the consumer’s cancellation rights (during so-called “cooling off periods”) for goods, services and digital content contracts concluded at a distance or off premises; and
	introduces various measures aimed at protecting consumers from hidden charges once they have entered into a contract.
12.A consultation by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (“BIS”) in August 2012 sought views on implementing the CRD in particular highlighting those areas where the UK had some flexibility in the way it might be applied(1). A Government response was published in August 2013. Part of the CRD was implemented early as the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, and the remainder was implemented with effect from 13 June 2014 as the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
13.In developing proposals for the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Government has taken into account the definitions and measures contained within the CRD and, as far as appropriate, has made the Act consistent with the CRD, with the intention of achieving overall a simple, coherent framework of consumer legislation.
14.The Government has also implemented the majority of the recommendations made by the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission (“the Law Commissions”) following their findings that the law surrounding consumer rights to redress following misleading or aggressive practices by traders is fragmented, complex and unclear(2). The Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014(3) amend the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (“CPRs”) and, as such, this reform did not need to be introduced within the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The new rights came into force on 1 October 2014 and give consumers the right to unwind a contract or payment, or receive a discount on the price paid, if they are subjected to misleading or aggressive practices. The Government published its response to its consultation on the draft regulations on 2 April 2014(4).