Parliament supports report to outlaw directory scams

After years of campaigning the European Parliament has finally adopted a devastating verdict against directory scams like the European City Guide. Maltese MEP Simon Busutill's report was adopted by a massive majority of 632 in favour and just 4 against, with only 12 abstentions.

The report strongly condemns the methods of directory scams and called on all EU countries to follow Austria's example in specifically outlawing the practises used by groups like the European City Guide. This can be helped by the Commission presenting draft proposals to extend the scope of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive to specifically prohibit advertising in business directories unless these entries warn prospective clients that they are being offered a contract against payment. It also demands that the European Commission ensure that the all countries are correctly implementing and enforcing the Misleading Advertising Directive, which these scams clearly fall foul of, and include a "black" list of misleading practices - a measure which would help increase public awareness of these scamming organisations.

But this vote is just the start. We still need to convince the European Commission and Member States to play their part and I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe the scamsters will simply give up. But it is, hopefully, the start of a co-ordinated effort to ensure that such fraudulent business directories are put out of business.

Nonetheless, there may be still a lot of work to do but the message from the European Parliament is clear: scams like the European City Guide are unacceptable and illegal.

I must also pay tribute to Jules Woodell, who runs StopECG, and has worked tirelessly for years against the scams and deserves plenty of recognition for the huge part he has played in organising victims into such a strong group that they successfully campaigned for a report into the scams by the Petition's Committee.

Away from the issue itself, the 12 MEPs elected for UKIP in 2004, astonishingly for even them, managed to take four different positions on the Busuttil report. Ashley Mote abstained, Kilroy and Tom Wise voted in favour, Roger Knapman voted against and the rest didn't vote at all (though I understand Godfrey Bloom was kept home by a serious family commitment). I was also disappointed to see that Tory Edward McMillan Scott abstained on the report, although I hope that his vote was a case of just pressing the wrong button.