Background
The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is a forum of U.S. and EU consumer organisations which develops and agrees on joint consumer policy recommendations to the US government and European Union to promote the consumer interest in EU and U.S. policy making.
It is in the context of the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA; launched in 1995) and in particular of the New Economic Partnership (launched in 1998), that the TACD, along with several other transatlantic dialogues, was born.
In launching the NTA and the TEP, the governments of the EU and U.S. had for the first time pledged their support to an increased involvement of civil society in transatlantic policy-making.
The TACD was launched in September 1998, at the end of the inaugural meeting which took place in Washington and gathered more than 60 consumer representatives from the U.S. and the EU.
Aims
To provide a formal mechanism for EU and US consumer representatives to input to EU and U.S. political negotiations and agreements as well as explore ways of strengthening the EU and U.S. consumer view at the international level.
TACD champions the consumer perspective in transatlantic decision making. It is our mission to ensure that EU/US policy dialogue promotes consumer welfare on both sides of the Atlantic and is well informed about the implications of policy decisions on consumers.
Activities
TACD regularly issues statements and recommendations on important food, digital, intellectual property, financial services and product safety issues. In doing so TACD provides a common voice for EU and U.S. consumer organisations ensuring that key consumer priorities are promoted and advocated within EU-U.S. regulatory and governmental processes, helping to protect health and safety and assure truth and fairness in the marketplace.
Through meetings and multi-stakeholder conferences TACD contributes to the exchange of information, dissemination of knowledge and sharing of expertise on key consumer issues in the EU and the U.S.
TACD works with stakeholders such as the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue (TLD) and the Transatlantic Business Council (TABC) through the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), of which TACD is a member of the advisory group, to find areas of commonality and to seek increased consensus.
Members and Governance
TACD membership is open to all European or U.S. consumer organisations working on a national and/or international level that are independent of business and political interest.
TACD members participate in its work through Policy Committees: Food, Intellectual Property, Digital, Trade and Financial Services.
TACD’s strategic direction is led by the Steering Committee and the Chairs of the Policy Committees.
Funding
The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue is currently operating under grants of the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundation, to support the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue Digital Policy Committee to coordinate and network European and American public interest groups on consumer protection around digital policies.