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This Code compiles the basic set of rights and principles enshrined in EU law that protect citizens when acceding and using online networks and services. These rights and principles are not always easy to grasp because they are not exclusive to the digital environment and are scattered across various directives, regulations and conventions in the areas of electronic communications, e-commerce and consumer protection. Moreover, in many cases these rights and principles are subject to minimum harmonisation, which means that Member States are allowed to go beyond the minimum standards required by EU law. Consequently, some Member States might have introduced higher levels of protection than those stipulated by EU directives when transposing them into national law. This is the case with some parts of the consumer protection legislation for example. While the majority of these rights are not in themselves new, due to the complexity of the legal framework many online consumers might not be aware of them. This is precisely the reason for establishing this Code: to make citizens aware of their minimum rights and the principles recognised in EU law when going online, being online, and when buying and consuming services online. This Code is not about creating new rights but about compiling existing rights and principles. The Code is not enforceable per se, but the particular rights and principles it describes are enforceable under the legal instrument from which they derive
Via Paulo Tomás Neves
