About us

We are a non-governmental member organisation

Together with our member organisations and individual members we are a powerful unit of expertise, research and political weight  in the Danish society.

Vision and mission

Our vision: A Denmark where all consumers can make a safe choice.

Our mission: We strengthen consumer empowerment.

Values

The Danish Consumer Council’s work is based on 4 values:

• Credible – we are independent, fact-based, professional and competent and on the side of  consumers.
• Committed – we are ambitious and determined, proud of our work, appreciate humour and care for each other.
• Acting – we move consumers through continuous action and stand up to challenges.
• In dialogue – we achieve results together, involve members and member organisations, enter into dialogue with industry, authorities and politicians and recognise, challenge and use each other
• Political activities

The Danish Consumer Council is represented on about 300 councils, boards and committees on international, European, Nordic and national level. We defend and represent the interests of Danish consumers in the EU, in national ministries and in private complaints boards.

We are the 6th most influential organisation in Denmark, based on our representation in the most councils, boards and committees.

Our political work is not only about achieving improvements on the consumer political scene, it is equally important to keep impairments from happening .

Complaints and appeal boards

Thanks to the Danish Consumer Council, Denmark has one of the best complaints handling systems in the world. The Danish Consumer Council is represented on 17 private, approved complaints boards. Here we help consumers if they have a complaint concerning a product or a service.

Tests and analyses

Testing of products and services is a large part of the work of the Danish Consumer Council. Each year around 100 tests are being done by experts with the Danish Consumer Council or in collaboration with laboratories in Europe and the US. 

The Danish Consumer Council’s testing is based on 4 pillars:

1. We are not sponsored.
2. We do not allow advertisements on any of our platforms.
3. We choose and buy the products we test.
4. We test professionally according to international standards of testing and use approved test laboratories. “Our test documentation has to be so complete that in case of a lawsuit from a producer, we have the documentation in order."

We are members of International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT), the only independent international organisation for consumer research and testing.

Press and media

The direct contact with consumers, politicians and industry gives the organisation a unique competence in a diverse market, and the spokespersons of the Danish Consumer Council are very visible in the public Danish debate when it comes to consumer-oriented topics and debates.

We work on behalf of the Danish consumers through debate, awareness-raising campaigns, legal advice to individual consumers, analytic and fact-based responses to public consultations and daily dialogue with the media, politicians, authorities and companies. In fact we are the 6th most quoted organisation in the Danish media.

We publish two magazines: Forbrugerrådet Tænk, the leading consumer magazine in Denmark, and Forbrugerrådet Tænk Penge, a trendsetting magazine on personal financial issues.

Facts about the Danish Consumer Council

We are a member organisation. More than 80,000 people, 27 organisations and one consumer group are members of the Danish Consumer Council.

The secretariat has a staff of about 125. The annual budget amounts to about 100 million DKK (2018) and includes a government grant of about 18 million DKK, membership fees, project funding etc.

We are active members of the international and European consumer organisations:

Initiatives under the Danish Consumer Council

Forbrugerrådet Tænk Kemi - The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals

The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals is an initiative under the Danish Consumer Council that aims to help consumers avoid problematic chemicals when shopping. We test consumer products in order to provide you with information on how to live a toxic free life.

Forbrugerrådet Tænk Passagerpulsen - The Danish Consumer Council Passenger Pulse

The Passenger Pulse is a department of the Danish Consumer Council. Our aim is to represent the interest of passengers in public transport in all areas of Denmark. The Passenger Pulse was launched in October 2014 and is the first of its kind in Denmark to represent all users and interest groups within the area of public transport.

Forbrugerrådet Tænk Økonomi- og Gældsrådgivning - The Danish Consumer Council Debt Counselling

The Danish Consumer Council Debt Counselling is a project that offers counselling to consumers with a low income, large debts or a low disposable income. There are centres in 7 Danish towns. More than 120 volunteers have since 2010 helped more than 15,000 people to get out of their debts.

History in brief

The Danish Consumer Council was established in the wake of the Second World War on 31 January 1947 and was initially named the Danish Housewives' Consumer Council

Women’s entry into the labour market changed the role of men.  As a result of this development the Danish Housewives' Consumer Council changed its name to the Danish Consumer Council in the '60s.

Since then the Danish Consumer Council has evolved from a small organisation into a dynamic organisation that places consumer policy on the daily agenda both in Denmark and internationally.