10th Conference on Consumer Rights in Europe

Marc Angel is a Member and Quaestor of the European Parliament.

In December 2019, he succeeded Nicolas Schmit as a Member of the European Parliament for the LSAP, after Schmit was appointed European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights. In January 2023, Marc Angel was elected Fifth Vice-President of the European Parliament, and in July 2024 he became a Quaestor of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as well as a substitute member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.

A qualified translator and holder of a degree in Tourism Economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, he also taught for many years at the Luxembourg School of Hospitality and Tourism.

Marc Angel entered the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies in August 2004 and was re-elected three times in 2009, 2013, and 2018. As a deputy, he notably chaired the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation, and Immigration from 2013 to 2019. He also served as a councillor of the City of Luxembourg from 1994 to 2020.

In addition, he is Cc-Chair of the LGBTI Intergroup, the largest intergroup of the institution. He is also a “UNAIDS Red Ribbon Leader for the 10-10-10 Social Enabler Targets” and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cape Verde in Luxembourg.

Michael McGrath assumed the role of EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection on 1 December 2024, as a member of the European Commission under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen.

As a member of the College of Commissioners, Commissioner McGrath contributes to delivering on the Commission’s overall political priorities, set out in the Political Guidelines underpinning the European Commission 2024 – 2029.

Commissioner McGrath has specific responsibility for upholding the rule of law, protecting democracy and fundamental rights, tackling disinformation, improving criminal justice cooperation and strengthening the rights of victims of crime, and improving EU competitiveness through the reform of company law and civil law. Commissioner McGrath has lead responsibility for consumer protection policy for almost 450 million consumers in the EU, and works to ensure full enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation, and promoting trusted data flows with international partners.

Commissioner McGrath has been appointed by President von der Leyen as Chairperson of the Commission Project Group on Democracy, and is a member of the Project Groups on Artificial Intelligence; Startups and Scaleups; European Savings and Investment Union; and European internal Security.

Prior to this, Commissioner McGrath served as Ireland’s Minister for Finance from 2022 to 2024, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2020 to 2022, and was an elected member of the Irish Parliament between 2007 to 2024. As Minister for Finance, he had a key role in decisions made across government, and was Ireland’s representative at the Eurogroup and Ecofin meetings of European Finance Ministers, and was Governor of a number of international bodies that Ireland is a member of, including the European Investment Bank, the IMF, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Commissioner McGrath holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Cork, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has undertaken studies with the London School of Economics and Political Science. He held senior roles in both the private and public sectors before entering politics full-time.

Martine Hansen has been serving since 17 November 2023 as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, as well as Minister for Consumer Protection in the coalition government formed by the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP).

Elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2013, she was re-elected in 2018. In December 2018, she became the first woman to chair the CSV parliamentary group, a position she held together with Gilles Roth from 2021 until her entry into government.

She had previously been a member of the Juncker-Asselborn II government, serving as Minister for Higher Education and Research from April to December 2013.

Before entering parliamentary politics, Martine Hansen pursued a career in agricultural education. From 1993 to 2006, she worked as an engineer-professor at the Agricultural Technical High School in Ettelbruck, which she went on to head from 2006 to 2013.

Isabelle Pérignon, a French national, is Director for ‘Consumer policy ' at the European Commission since October 2023. She was for four years (2019-2023) the Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.

Before this position, she worked as Head of Unit ‘Procedural criminal law' at the European Commission. Ms Pérignon was also a member of the Cabinet of several Commissioners, including Commissioner for Values and Transparency, the Czech Vera Jourova and former Commissioner for Home Affairs, the Swedish Cécilia Malmström.

Before joining the Commission in 2003, Isabelle Perignon was a solicitor specialising in EU law and was a member of the French and Belgian bars. She worked at Baker McKenzie law firm under the supervision of Ms Christine Lagarde. She holds a Master's Degree in European Legal Studies (LLM College of Europe) and a Master in Business Studies.

Tine A. Larsen has been chairing the collegiate body of Commissioners of the Luxembourg DPA since November 2014. The DPA oversees the surveillance of the compliance to the GDPR and the LDA and will soon become a market surveillance authority, the unique point of contact and the national coordinator of competent authorities under the AI Act as well as competent authority under the Data Governance Act.

Ms Larsen holds a master’s degree in business law from the University Robert Schumann in Strasbourg, France, and an MA in international peace and security from King’s College London.

Before joining the Luxembourg Army Headquarters in 2003 and the Rescue Services Agency in 2005, she practised at the Bar of Luxembourg.

Mrs Larsen represents the CNPD within the European Data Protection Board (the EDPB) and is also a member of the national “Judicial Oversight Authority” and the national “Information Commission”, as well as an advisory member of the Luxembourg Human Rights Consultative Commission.

Bob Schmitz is a European legal consultant with almost fifty years of experience in consumer and competition law. Since the 1970s, he has advised on EU law in Brussels, with a strong focus on consumer protection. He has contributed to EU policy-making through advisory roles in organisations such as BEUC, the Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs, and various European expert groups. His areas of expertise include consumer protection, competition, waste management, the Single Market and air transport law. He continues to contribute to the development and understanding of European consumer law through his publications and advisory work.

Amber Bechrouri is Director of EU Public Policy at Amazon, where she is responsible for the company’s interactions with the European Union institutions across a wide range of issues, including on consumer and sustainability policy.

Amber has been in Brussels and active in policy and government affairs since 2001, initially in the paper industry, then at Nike. She was Head of EU and International Policy at UK consumer group Which?, before joining Amazon in 2017.

Ralph Roggenbuck has been legal advisor at the European Consumer Centre (ECC) France in Kehl since 2012, assisting consumers in resolving cross-border disputes within the European Union.

He also contributes to public consultations by providing expert input on the development of consumer protection legislation. His work further involves active participation in roundtables and workshops on issues such as product reparability, e-commerce, online platform regulation, and dark patterns.

In addition, he collaborates on academic publications, working with researchers and institutions to explore and analyse developments in European consumer law.

Dr Olaf Prüßmann is Director for Economic Policy and Financial Services at the General Secretariat of Council of the European Union, a position he has held since 2019. In this capacity, he oversees legislative work on economic policy and financial services, coordinates the ECOFIN Council, and supervises briefing preparation for the Secretary-General and the Presidents of the Eurogroup, ECOFIN and European Council.

He has held senior positions at the General Secretariat of the Council since 2010, including as Head of Unit for Economic Policy, where he led preparations for Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings on issues such as the European Semester, the Stability and Growth Pact and G20 coordination.

Dr Prüßmann began his career in European public administration at the European Commission, contributing to the practical introduction of the euro and working on the Economic and Monetary Union and euro-area enlargement. He also held positions at the German Ministry of Finance and the University of Freiburg, where he earned his PhD in Economics.

Natasha Deloge holds a master degree in private law with a specialisation in business law from the University Robert Schuman in Strasbourg.

After a first experience as a lawyer, she has joined the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) back in 2002, where she has built a solid background and expertise notably in payment services, consumer protection, financial technologies and innovation in the broad sense of the term.

Since 2015, she is the Deputy Head of the Innovation, Payments, Markets Infrastructures and Governance Department of the CSSF and in 2020 was appointed Head of Innovation in charge of the Innovation Hub of the CSSF. She further participates in the internal group on sustainable finance of the CSSF.

Michał Truszczyński comes from Poland. He studied International and European Law in the Netherlands (LLB and LLM). At the beginning of his professional journey, his focus was on competition law. Over time, he developed interest and passion for the financial area, especially financial literacy and innovation through the study of the crypto market. He started his first crypto position at Finoa (crypto custodian) in the regulatory department. At Bitpanda, Michał works as a Senior Specialist, in the field of Public Affairs where he is in charge of EU public policy. The keyword for his work is “demystification” of crypto space so that the European Union and citizens can benefit from this groundbreaking technology.

Karolina Wojtal, LL.M. (Bruges), is the Co-Director and Head of Legal Affairs and Public Relations at the European Consumer Centre Germany (ECC Germany), a position she has held since 2020. In this role, she oversees the legal advisory services and strategic communications and acts as the spokesperson for ECC Germany. The ECC Germany is the first point of contact for German consumers with cross-border enquiries, providing information on the EU internal market and offering advice and assistance in disputes with companies based in other EU Member States, as well as Iceland and Norway.

ECC Germany is co-financed by the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, and forms part of the European Consumer Centres Network. In this capacity, the ECC Germany liaises with policymakers, regulators and industry stakeholders and is a member of the network's Policy Paper Group. The ECC Germany sits on the advisory board of the German conciliation body for travel and transport disputes, and via its host organisation, is a member of the European Movement Germany.

Before joining the European Consumer Centre Germany, Karolina Wojtal gained professional experience at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, the Federal Cartel Office, an international law firm and the European Parliament. She holds law degrees from Saarland University (Germany) and Lille II (France), as well as an LL.M. in European Legal Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium). She is also a fully qualified German lawyer.

Jan Tscheke is a Consumer Policy Analyst in the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation. Since 2020, he supports the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy, with a focus on measurement and the application of behavioural insights in areas such as consumer harms, disclosure effectiveness, the impact of consumer policy interventions, and, most recently, sustainable consumption. Previously, he worked with the OECD Digital Policy Committee in the same Directorate, concentrating on country reviews as well as e-commerce and digital trade issues.

In his role, Jan has managed several large-scale, multi-country consumer surveys and behavioural experiments, and has contributed as author or co-author to multiple OECD publications, including books and policy papers.

A trade economist by training, he holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Munich and an M.Sc. in International Trade and American Studies from the University of Tübingen.

Juliette Petit is a Sustainability Advisor at the House of Sustainability of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. In this role, she supports companies in their sustainable transition, with a particular focus on topics such as reporting, sustainable governance, and greenwashing.

Holding a joint PhD in corporate law, Juliette has been working and publishing on sustainable governance and corporate law since 2019.

Mr. Juha Beurling-Pomoell is the Secretary General of the Consumers' Union of Finland, where he is responsible for the Union’s strategic and operational management, finances, and advocacy work. Since 2011, he has represented the Union in both national and international cooperation bodies. Juha is currently for example an active participant at the European Economic and Social Committee and its various sections.

With over 20 years of experience in consumer affairs, ethics, immigration policy, and social responsibility, Juha is a broad-based expert in consumer protection and social policy issues. He has played a key role in advancing ethical consumption in Finland, including publishing on the topic and running a pilot project on nationwide advisory services for consumers already almost 20 years ago.

Previously, he has worked as a Parliamentary Assistant in the Finnish Parliament, within the Ministry of Labour’s immigration policy team, and in the International Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. He also has experience in developing ethical principles in the sports sector as well as promoting multiculturalism and equality.

Juha holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Helsinki, with a major in political science and a minor in law. In addition, he has completed a Specialist Qualification in Management at the Rastor Institute.

Reinhold Schranz is Director of the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Austria, where he leads strategic and operational efforts to protect consumer rights across borders. Since 2022, he has represented ECC Austria at national and EU level, engaging with the European Commission, Parliament, and Austria’s Federal Ministry for Social Affairs. He also serves as Rapporteur of the ECC-Net Policy Paper Group and actively contributes to European expert forums.

With over 15 years of experience in EU consumer law, dispute resolution, and cross-border enforcement, Reinhold is a long-standing expert on geo-blocking and the Services Directive. He has advised the European Commission and Parliament and authored publications on key aspects of Single Market consumer rights, including the 2018 Geo-blocking Regulation.

Before becoming Director, he served as Senior Lawyer and ODR/ADR Advisor at ECC Austria, specializing in air passenger rights and e-commerce law. Earlier roles include work at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the United Nations in Vienna (IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC), advising businesses at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce’s Foreign Trade Office in Milan, and gaining judicial experience at the Commercial Court of Vienna.

He holds a law degree from the University of Vienna with a specialization in European and international law, studied at Utrecht University, and completed managerial training at the Controller Institute Austria.

Christoph Schröder has been heading the European Parliament’s information office in Luxembourg since June 2012. These offices represent the institution in the Member State and manage contacts with media, engage with citizens and stakeholders through offline and online activities, and offer a communication platform for the Members of the European Parliament in the Member States.

Between 2004 and 2012 Christoph worked as a senior administrator for the Directorate General Energy and Transport of the European Commission in Luxembourg where he dealt, amongst others, with general aspects of the Commission's nuclear energy policy, and in particular with the European Nuclear Energy Forum as well as information and communication matters.

Prior to joining the Commission in 2004, he headed the minister’s office and the public relations department of the ministry of economic affairs in Saarland, one of the 16 German federal states (länder).

He studied economics at the University of Saarland in Germany and the University of Michigan in the US.

Since September 2021, Anne Calteux has been the Representative of the European Commission in Luxembourg. Following her role as Head of European and International Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Health in Luxembourg, she now manages political communication and strategic coordination for the European Commission in Luxembourg.

A committed European at heart, Ms Calteux has held several leadership positions with high levels of responsibility, notably within the COVID-19 crisis unit at the Ministry of Health. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative European Law (LL.M.) from King’s College London and was a practicing lawyer at the Luxembourg Bar from 1999 to 2003. Between 2004 and 2013, she represented Luxembourg to the EU in the fields of public health and social security.

Radio and TV Presenter at RTL Luxembourg (including Luxembourg Song Contest and De Magazin)