§ 12 — Policy · Consumer Protection

When buying is one click — and cancelling is impossible.

Consumer law decides whether everyday rights can actually be used. Since 2025 the ministry has changed the rules for withdrawal, green claims and repair.

Portrait of Stefanie Hubig smiling, in a pink blazer and glasses. — Dr. Stefanie Hubig.

Case study

The withdrawal button

The issue. Consumers who buy online generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal. In practice, exercising it could mean searching for an address, a form or a hidden menu — while the purchase itself took one click.

The reform. Implementing an EU directive of 2023, the new § 356a of the Civil Code requires a clearly labelled withdrawal function — “withdraw from contract” — for online consumer contracts, including financial services. The federal cabinet adopted the bill on 3 September 2025; the Bundestag passed it on 19 December 2025 and it applies from 19 June 2026.

Beyond the minimum. During the parliamentary process, the Bundestag added specific bans on manipulative interface design for online financial services and a general prohibition of manipulation in that area. The previously unlimited withdrawal right for some financial services and insurance contracts was capped.

Assessment. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) called the result significant progress, going beyond the government’s draft. Businesses must redesign their interfaces.

Implemented · applies from 19 June 2026

Everyday situations — and the rule that applies

Situation 01

“The countdown says the offer ends in 2 minutes.”

Manipulative design — fake urgency, hidden costs, confusing consent — is addressed by the EU Digital Services Act and unfair-practices law. At a February 2026 conference on Safer Internet Day, Hubig said fairness online means protection against practices that mislead, manipulate or create addiction. The Bundestag asked the government to support a horizontal EU ban; the EU’s planned Digital Fairness Act is the main vehicle.

Under discussion (EU)

Situation 02

“The label says climate-neutral.”

Since 27 September 2026, generic environmental claims such as “eco-friendly” are banned unless the trader can prove recognised excellent environmental performance, and sustainability labels must be based on a certification scheme or set by public authorities. The rules implement the EU directive on empowering consumers for the green transition.

Implemented

Situation 03

“The washing machine broke after two years.”

The right-to-repair law, passed by the Bundestag on 25 June 2026 and approved by the Bundesrat on 10 July 2026, obliges manufacturers of certain products to offer repair, extends the warranty by 12 months when consumers choose repair, and introduces a European repair information form.

Adopted

Situation 04

“A software update damaged my device.”

The modernised product-liability law extends liability to software, including AI systems, and eases access to evidence for injured persons. The bill had its first reading on 4 March 2026; the EU deadline is 9 December 2026. The Bundesrat warned of burdens on manufacturers.

Legislative process

Situation 05

“Concert tickets resell at five times the price.”

In 2026 Hubig announced plans to cap resale prices for event tickets, after an open letter from musicians. The project was mentioned in the Bundestag in July and September 2026.

Proposed

Situation 06

“My insurance doesn’t cover flooding.”

At the insurers’ association conference on 23 September 2026, Hubig outlined plans for a compulsory natural-hazard component in new residential building insurance policies, with a possible opt-out. About 59% of buildings are currently covered.

Proposed

Context

Online fraud and vulnerable consumers

Online fraud links consumer and criminal law. The government argues that the planned IP-address storage would help identify fraudsters operating online; critics question its necessity. Consumer law addresses the same problem from the other side: clear information, withdrawal rights and liability rules reduce the damage when deception succeeds.

Older people, children and people in financial difficulty are particularly exposed to aggressive or manipulative practices. EU and German unfair-practices law already takes the perspective of a “particularly vulnerable” average consumer where a practice targets such groups. The current debates about addictive design concern young users in particular.

Consumer information and enforcement

Consumer rights depend on collective enforcement: consumer associations can bring injunctions and, since 2023, redress actions on behalf of many consumers. Small claims will increasingly be handled through the civil online procedure piloted since April 2026.

Sources

Noerr, “Umsetzungsgesetz zum Widerrufsbutton veröffentlicht” (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 28) — noerr.com
beck-aktuell, cabinet decision on the withdrawal button, 3 September 2025; anti-greenwashing law, 30 January 2026
vzbv, consumer-policy check of the Merz cabinet — vzbv.de
German Bundestag, right to repair, 25 June 2026 (kw26); product liability, 4 March 2026 (kw10) — bundestag.de
Bitkom, press release on Safer Internet Day, February 2026 — bitkom.org
Federal Government bulletin, speech at the GDV Versicherungstag, 23 September 2026 — bundesregierung.de