| Hello, With a new month comes a renewed focus on increasing consumer choice around the globe! Tides are shifting everywhere, as you well know, but our team is pumped and primed to defend consumers and advocate smarter policies in hotspots of regulation. To that end, we just announced yesterday our Consumer Innovation Manifesto, our multinational policy prescription for revamping policies that affect citizens and consumers post-Coronavirus. |
| We have a version for the European Union, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the U.S. Some of the topics covered: fast and easy access to medicine, gene-editing, patient choice, alcohol and food delivery, free trade, easing restrictions on sharing economy services, and more. The next step is to meet with legislators and regulators in each jurisdiction to promote our ideas and get them shaped into legislation. Please let us know if you’d like to help with our cause! Download the Consumer Innovation Manifesto |
| POLICYMAKER CORNER –>We’re now featuring the Consumer Choice Center Policymaker Corner, where we give policymakers a platform to communicate directly with consumers and share their thoughts on the pressing issues concerning consumer choice and rights. –>This section of our website is dedicated to the personal opinions of legislators. –>You can comment, share, and send us your questions and we will pass them on anonymously creating a safe constructive place for conversation that aims to put consumers at the center of the legislative agenda. |
| UPCOMING WEBINAR –>Be sure to sign-up for tomorrow’s Consumer Choice Center webinar with Member of European Parliament Svenja Hahn, who will discuss Artificial Intelligence and the opportunities for improving consumers’ lives. –>You won’t want to miss it! |
| UNITED STATES & CANADA –>For the last few months, we’ve been leading a campaign to reform tort law in the United States, hoping to create a more just and nimble legal system for every day Americans. You may have read my articles in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Newsday, and Inside Sources, drawing attention to the Netflix series that highlight the injustice that is rampant in our courts, and the thousands of coronavirus lawsuits currently making waves around the country and the world. –>At the same time, we weighed in on the vaping debate in New York State, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo has taken the time off his coronavirus response to ban flavored vaping. Aren’t there other priorities right now? –>We know y’all love catchy graphics, so we’ve been doing our part to explain the world of consumer regulation through our handy maps. The first is the map of which U.S. states allow alcohol delivery: |
–>And another related to same-day delivery of cannabis across Canadian provinces:
| Specific to Canada, our very own David Clement has been slugging any in national media on the need for intellectual property in the vaccine and medical innovation race and pushing for more consumer-friendly cannabis delivery policies. David’s recommendations on cannabis delivery have now been applied in the province of Ontario. Policy win!  And if you’ve been listening to our weekly Consumer Choice Radio program, you’ll know we’ve interviewed the likes of Steve Forbes, Jerry Buting (the attorney from Making a Murderer), Ashley Baker from the Committee For Justice, Corey DeAngelis, and many more! Be sure you’re subscribed to the podcast version we also release. |
| EUROPE –>In Europe, our managing director Fred Roeder published an article in Euractiv to argue for continued innovation in agriculture in the European Union. There is still much improvement to adopt newer technologies that are increasing yields, lowering food prices, and feeding hundreds of millions of Europeans like never before. –>This is the gene-editing revolution, and Consumer Choice Center is there making sure that message is heard. It’s also in French and Spanish.–>Our senior policy analyst Bill Wirtz also hit back with a similar article on modern agriculture, mycotoxins, and scientific crop protection to keep feeding the world.–>Demonstrating our ability to influence world bodies, the WIPO and EUIPO heads responded to our letters about the importance of intellectual property for innovation. The letter we sent was co-signed by 17 MEPs. |
–>In Ukraine, our European Affairs Associate Maria Chaplia published an article on the need to avoid food export bans. Now is the wrong time to increase the price of food for consumers.
| TV AND RADIO –>Of course, you won’t just find us in print. Our staff has also been floating around on television and radio to promote our ideas. –>Fred was interviewed on TRT International to discuss COVID-19 and the World Health Organization, and the differences between the UK and German response on UK TalkRadio. –>Bill Wirtz was featured on the Free Market Series show to discuss paternalism and the mission of the CCC. –>Luca Bertoletti was featured on Radio Lombardia to discuss his latest article on the healthcare system in Lombardy, Italy. –>And I discussed the ongoing lockdowns, plans for recovery, and lawsuit epidemics during my weekly radio hit on the Joe Catenacci Show. There is so much more we could share with you, but time is short and so is the week. Be sure to follow us on our social media channels for all the latest and great updates in our global fight for #consumerchoice! On behalf of the entire CCC team, |
 Yaël Ossowski Deputy Director Consumer Choice Center |