Martine Hansen, Luxembourg's Minister for Consumer Protection;
Credit: Marion Dessard
On Thursday 13 March 2025, a conference titled "How digitalisation and artificial intelligence influence us as consumers" took place at the Da Vinci Forum in Luxembourg-Ville.
The conference, which was part of the celebration of World Consumer Day on 15 March, was organised by Luxembourg's Directorate for Consumer Protection (DPC) in collaboration with the Luxembourg Consumer Protection Association (ULC) and the European Consumer Centre Luxembourg (CEC).
In a statement issued by the DPC, the event was described as providing a platform for discussion on the major challenges of online commerce and new technologies.
A welcome address from Luxembourg's Minister for Consumer Protection, Martine Hansen, was followed by a presentation by Christian Baudis, former CEO of Google Germany. Mr Baudis shared his expertise on the impact of digitalisation and artificial intelligence on consumption habits, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for consumers today and tomorrow.
The evening continued with a roundtable discussion featuring experts from diverse backgrounds including: Claire Gayrel, lawyer specialising in Digital Markets Act (DMA) at the European Commission; Italo di Lorenzo, Head of Public Policy at Amazon Luxembourg; Romy Schaus, Legal Advisor at the Competition Authority; Bob Schmitz, EU Consumer Law Lawyer at the ULC.
DPC stated that the discussions addressed the rights and obligations of consumers and businesses in online commerce, while also putting into perspective legislative developments and the practical challenges faced by market players.
The event concluded with a question and answer session between speakers and participants, which confirmed the growing interest in issues related to digitalisation and consumer protection.
At the end of the conference, Minister Hansen emphasised: "Consumer protection in a rapidly changing digital world cannot be achieved without close collaboration between authorities, consumers and businesses. Together, we must work to ensure a safer and fairer environment, where consumer rights are fully respected and businesses can prosper responsibly. I am also delighted with the success of our conference, as it demonstrates that consumers are increasingly eager to learn about their rights in order to adopt informed consumption patterns".
HOM
