4. 6. 97 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 144/19 DIRECTIVE 97/7/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (%), in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 27 November 1996, (1) Whereas, in connection with the attainment of the aims of the internal market, measures must be taken for the gradual consolidation of that market; (2) Whereas the free movement of goods and services affects not only the business sector but also private individuals; whereas it means that consumers should be able to have access to the goods and services of another Member State on the same terms as the population of that State; (3) Whereas, for consumers, cross-border distance selling could be one of the main tangible results of the completion of the internal market, as noted, inter alia, in the communication from the Commission to the Council entitled ‘Towards a single market in distribution’; whereas it is essential to the smooth operation of the internal market for consumers to be able to have dealings with a business outside their country, even if it has a subsidiary in the consumer’s country of residence; (4) Whereas the introduction of new technologies is increasing the number of ways for consumers to obtain information about offers anywhere in the Community and to place orders; whereas some (") OJ No C 156, 23. 6. 1992, p. 14 and OJ No C 308, 15. 11. 1993, p. 18. () OJ No C 19, 25. 1. 1993, p. 111. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 26 May 1993 (O] No C 176, 28. 6. 1993, p. 95), Council common position of 29 June 1995 (OJ No C 288, 30. 10. 1995, p. 1) and Decision of the European Parliament of 13 December 1995 (O] No C 17, 22.1. 1996, p. 51). Decision of the European Parliament of 16 January 1997 and Council Decision of 20 January 1997. Member States have already taken different or diver- ging measures to protect consumers in respect of distance selling, which has had a detrimental effect on competition between businesses in the internal market; whereas it is therefore necessary to introduce at Community level a minimum set of common rules in this area; (5) Whereas paragraphs 18 and 19 of the Annex to the Council resolution of 14 April 1975 on a preliminary programme of the European Economic Community for a consumer protection and information policy (*) point to the need to protect the purchasers of goods or services from demands for payment for unsolicited goods and from high-pressure selling methods; (6) Whereas paragraph 33 of the communication from the Commission to the Council entitled ‘A new impetus for consumer protection policy’, which was approved by the Council resolution of 23 June 1986 (°), states that the Commission will submit proposals regarding the use of new information tech- nologies enabling consumers to place orders with suppliers from their homes; (7) Whereas the Council resolution of 9 Novemnber 1989 on future priorities for relaunching consumer protec- tion policy () calls upon the Commission to give priority to the areas referred to in the Annex to that resolution; whereas that Annex refers to new techno- logies involving teleshopping; whereas the Commis- sion has responded to that resolution by adopting a three-year action plan for consumer protection policy in the European Economic Community (1990-1992); whereas that plan provides for the adop- tion of a Directive; (8) Whereas the languages used for distance contracts are a matter for the Member States; (9) Whereas contracts negotiated at a distance involve the use of one or more means of distance commun- ication; whereas the various means of communica- tion are used as part of an organized distance sales or service-provision scheme not involving the simul- taneous presence of the supplier and the consumer; () OJ No C 92, 25. 4. 1975, p. 1. () O] No C 167, 5. 7. 1986, p. 1. () OJ No C 294, 22. 11. 1989, p. 1.