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recent releases from Leicester Shire Development Agency, Business Link for Leicestershire and Business Link Lincolnshire & Rutland | 
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9 October 2002
NEWS RELEASE
NEW GUIDE EASES CROSS-BORDER COMPLAINTS
Businesses and consumers in Leicestershire will find complaining about services of European companies easier in the future, thanks to a new guide from the European Commission.
The brochure, available from the Euro Info Centre at Business Link for Leicestershire, will explain the workings of FIN-NET, a European out of court complaints network for financial services that works cross-border to settle financial disputes quickly and efficiently.
Launched as a pilot project last year, it is now fully functioning and Sarah Wilson, Euro Info Centre manager, says that by bringing together existing and new complaint schemes it is has overcome many of the practical problems previously experienced when handling cross border complaints.
"FIN-NET makes it easier to complain cross-border and is helping businesses and consumers to resolve disputes fast and efficiently, without lengthy and expensive legal action," she said.
As well as providing consumers with a quick and easy-to-use complaints mechanism, it ensures an effective exchange of information so that settlement schemes from different countries comply with a common set of minimum guarantees.
Sarah added, "It is important that, in cases where they can get better value, consumers are confident about buying financial services in other member states."
The coverage of FIN-NET is most comprehensive in the insurance and banking sector and dealt with more than 400 complaints relating to this between February and December 2001.
The European Commission is now focusing on developing the scheme further to improve geographical and sectoral coverage and increase awareness of the service. The launch of the new guide is part of this aim. It will be published in eleven languages and issued to more than 1.5 million people.
For more information, contact the Euro Info Centre on 0845 070 0086 or go online at www.europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/finances/consumer
Ends
For further media information
CONTACT Kate Downs on 0116 254 4472
Notes to Editors
The Leicester Euro Info Centre is part of a network of some 250 Euro Info Centres set up by the European Commission throughout Europe. Staffed by a team of informed and qualified professionals, it has direct access to the European Commission, to help SMEs in the region meet the challenges involved in successfully tapping the European market.
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