Consumer protection

Independent youth welfare organizations

Independent youth welfare organizations

Promotion of youth work/youth social work projects

How do you apply for funding for youth work / youth social work projects?

Lodging a complaint against financial service providers

If you are having problems with a bank, insurance company or other financial service provider, you can lodge a complaint with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht).

Submit complaints about basic accounts, account switching assistance and fee transparency

Does your bank reject your basic account application, does it not provide you with sufficient support when switching accounts or does it charge an unreasonable fee? Then you can complain to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).

Commercial practices, including consumer rights and guarantees when selling goods and services

If you want to set up a business in Germany, you must comply with certain rules and requirements. This section provides information on the obligations concerning fairness and transparency.

Rules and obligations regarding the processing of personal data

Do you know when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to your business?

Defective products: consumer rights and guarantees, after-sale responsibilities, means of redress for an injured party

Consumer rights and guarantees In the case of defective products, the rights of consumers may arise either from a statutory warranty or from a guarantee issued by the seller. ...

Distance/off-premises selling: informing consumers, contractzs and withdrawal, delivery of goods

You can find out here which requirements and rules must be considered with regard to contracts with consumers and distance selling under EU law.

Show use of the organic label

Would you like to label your organic products with the German organic seal? Then you must notify the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE).

Applying for approval of novel tobacco products

Novel tobacco products, for example heated tobacco products, may only be placed on the market if they have been approved. You can apply for approval from the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).

Request image files for labeling tobacco packaging or cigarette packets with text image warnings

As a manufacturer or importer of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, and hookah tobacco, you must print text image warnings on your cigarette and tobacco packaging. You can obtain the image files from the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety.

Report price agreements and other restrictive agreements between companies

Cartels harm the economy as a whole and, above all, consumers. If competitors coordinate their behavior on a market in order to restrict or eliminate competition, this is known a...

Initiate or apply for the indexing of a medium harmful to minors

If you as an authority or youth welfare organization consider the content of a medium to be harmful to minors, you can apply to the Federal Agency for the Protection of Children and Young Persons in the Media (BzKJ) for an indexing procedure or initiate one.

Report possible discrimination in access to railroads and railroad service facilities

If you as a company feel that your access to the railroad infrastructure is restricted, you can submit a discrimination complaint to the Federal Network Agency.

Apply for approval of a new plant variety

You can only market a new plant variety that you have bred for food or feed for commercial purposes after the Federal Plant Variety Office (BSA) has completed its multi-year growing trial and you have obtained official variety approval.

Application for renewal of an approved variety

The approval of a variety marketed by you or other registered breeders expires? Then you can apply to the Bundessortenamt (BSA) for an extension of the approval.

Report radio interference

If you suspect a radio interference problem, you can report it to the Federal Network Agency's Testing and Measurement Service.

Complain to the Federal Network Agency about postal and parcel service providers

In case of basic problems with mail or parcel delivery, you can complain to Bundesnetzagentur.

Submitting complaints and inquiries in the area of telecommunications

As a customer of an Internet, mobile or fixed network provider, you can find out about your rights and submit inquiries and complaints to the Federal Network Agency.

Apply for general rulings for foodstuffs

Would you like to import foodstuffs that are legally marketed or manufactured in another EU Member State but deviate from German health protection regulations? Then you can apply for a general ruling.

Request consultation procedure for novel foods

Would you like to launch a food on the German market and are unsure whether it is to be classified as a novel food? Then you can apply to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) for a consultation procedure.

Submit an application for the use of a term as a common traditional name as an exception to the application of Article 1(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Designations that can be construed as health claims may be used without an approval procedure, provided that an approved health claim is attached. You can apply for an exception to this rule for traditional names.

Apply for inclusion of a smoke flavoring primary product in the Community list of authorized primary products.

If you want to use a new smoke flavoring in or on food, you must have it approved at the European level . If approved, the smoke flavoring will be placed on the EU Community List of Primary Products.

Apply for approval of health claims on food

Health claims on foods usually require approval. You can apply for this approval via the E-Submission Food Chain (ESFC) platform of the European Commission .

Report undesirable effects and damage to health with cosmetics

If you use cosmetics and adverse effects occur, you can report this. As a manufacturing or trading company, you must report effects with serious health consequences to the authorities.

Submitting a complaint against companies in the financial services sector

Do you believe that a company has violated the German Investment Code? Then you can lodge a complaint with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). You can use the general complaints procedure to do so.

File a complaint for violation of the provisions of the Geoblocking Regulation

If you want to complain about a provider for violating the provisions of the Geoblocking Regulation, you can file a complaint with the Federal Network Agency.