The Directorate of Consumer Services of Madeira indicated today that it still receives complaints regarding the blocking of electronic sales to the region, considering that the solution may involve the revision of European legislation.
Although the law has prohibited, since January 2022, geo-blocking and discrimination in electronic sales for consumers in the autonomous regions, the Directorate of Consumer Services of Madeira has received four complaints this year.
The director of the regional authority, Cristina Gonçalves, indicated in the Madeiran parliament that complaints are on a downward trend, having decreased from 12 in 2021 to 9 in 2022, and now 4 in 2026.
The official was speaking to the Permanent Specialised Committee on Economy and the Sea of the Regional Legislative Assembly, as part of a request for a hearing entitled “For the supervision of the provisions of Law No. 7/2022, of January 10.”
The law prohibits unjustified geo-blocking and discrimination, as well as other forms of discrimination in online sales based, directly or indirectly, on the consumer’s place of residence or establishment
The trader may not block or restrict, by means of technological or any other measure, the consumer’s access to online interfaces for reasons related to the place of residence or the place of establishment in national territory.
Cristina Gonçalves stressed that she has promoted clarification and awareness actions for consumers on this issue and believes that to solve this violation of the law, which still happens, the European regulation should be changed.
The head of the Consumer Directorate argued that some companies are unaware of the national law, so it would be “easier” for them to know the European legislative framework, which only mentions discrimination between Member States, and does not cover the outermost regions.
Complaints received are sent to the Regional Authority for Economic Activities (ARAE), which, in turn, refers to the Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE).
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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