# What the EU agreed with the big car rental companies, and what it means for you today

> In January 2017, after a coordinated action by EU consumer authorities, five large car rental companies, together covering two out of three private rentals in the EU, made commitments on price transparency, clearer terms on insurance and fuel, and fairer handling of alleged damage. A 2019 assessment found that two had made all changes and three had committed to finish them. ECC-Net later screened online intermediaries, and in 2025 called for EU-wide legislation for the sector.

Updated: 2026-10-22 · Source: https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/eu-action-car-rental-companies

Complaints about car rental are not new. In the mid-2010s, they were common enough that EU consumer authorities acted together. ==The result was a set of commitments from five of the largest rental companies on prices, terms and damage handling, and they still offer useful reference points today.== Here is what was agreed, what followed, and how you can use it.

## The coordinated action

The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network brings together the national authorities that enforce EU consumer law. It can act jointly when a practice affects consumers in several countries. Car rental was one of the sectors it addressed.

| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| January 2017 | Commitments from five large car rental companies published |
| March 2019 | CPC Network publishes its assessment of those commitments |
| July 2022 | ECC-Net publishes a screening of online car rental intermediaries |
| 2025 | ECC-Net calls for EU-wide legislation for the car rental sector |

## Who made the commitments

According to the European Commission, the five companies were Enterprise, Sixt, Avis, Europcar (which now includes Goldcar) and Hertz. Together, they cover two out of three private car rentals in the EU.

## What they committed to

The commitments covered three areas:

1. **Price transparency**: clearer prices, so that what you see is closer to what you pay.
2. **Clearer terms and conditions**, including insurance and waiver policies and fuel options.
3. **More fairness in handling alleged damage** to the vehicle.

## What the 2019 assessment found

In March 2019, the CPC Network published its assessment. The Commission reports that Enterprise and Sixt had made all required changes, Avis committed to finish by May 2019, Europcar including Goldcar by June 2019, and Hertz by the first quarter of 2020 at the latest. The Commission and national authorities said they would follow the remaining changes closely and keep monitoring all market players, including intermediaries and smaller companies.

## What came after: brokers and the call for legislation

In July 2022, ECC-Net screened 78 online car rental intermediaries and found that 55% did not comply with EU consumer law. Nearly half gave unclear information about insurance, and 21% showed pre-selected extras. Read [comparison sites and the small print](https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/comparison-site-car-rental-small-print).

On 6 October 2025, ECC-Net published a position paper, "Driving Change", based on 6,016 complaints, and called for EU-wide legislation for the car rental sector. ECC Germany reported in 2026 that the paper documents damage disputes, opaque insurance models and questionable contract clauses, and has been presented to members of the European Parliament. See our post on [ECC-Net's recommendations for car rental](https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/ecc-net-car-rental-recommendations).

## How you can use this today

The commitments do not give you a separate right to sue, but they are useful in three ways:

- **As a benchmark.** If a large brand's price, insurance terms or damage handling fall short of what was committed, you can point to the commitments in your objection.
- **As a reminder of the law.** The commitments were based on existing EU consumer law, such as the rules on unfair terms and unfair commercial practices, which apply to every company.
- **As context for escalation.** All five companies appear on Leaseurope's list of participants in the European Car Rental Conciliation Service, a free route after their own complaint procedure. Read [what ECRCS is](https://scratchfair.com/en/knowledge/ecc-and-disputes/ecrcs-car-rental-conciliation).

> [!TIP]
> In an objection to a large brand, a short sentence such as "this does not match the transparency on damage handling your company committed to with EU consumer authorities in 2017" shows you know the context, without making accusations.

## Your rights in every rental

Whatever the brand, ECC-Net's basic advice applies: read the contract before you sign, check the car with a staff member at pick-up and return, and complain in writing if something is wrong. Our guide on [unfair terms in car rental](https://scratchfair.com/en/knowledge/rules/unfair-terms-car-rental) explains which clauses can be challenged, and the [terms check](https://scratchfair.com/en/tools/terms-check) helps you spot them before you book.

> [!WARNING]
> Commitments and position papers do not change your card issuer's deadlines. If a disputed amount was charged, note the date in the [deadline calculator](https://scratchfair.com/en/tools/deadlines).

## What to watch

The call for EU legislation is still a call. Whether it leads to new rules, for example on damage inspections, deposits or insurance information, is up to the EU institutions. We will update this post when there is news.

## FAQ

**Which companies made the 2017 commitments?**

According to the European Commission, Enterprise, Sixt, Avis, Europcar (which includes Goldcar) and Hertz. Together they cover two out of three private car rentals in the EU.

**Are the commitments binding?**

They are commitments made to the network of national consumer authorities (CPC), which follow their implementation. The underlying EU consumer law applies to every company, whether or not it made commitments.

**Do the commitments cover smaller companies and brokers?**

No, they were made by the five companies. The Commission said authorities would keep monitoring all market players, including intermediaries and smaller companies. ECC-Net's 2022 screening focused on online intermediaries.

## Sources

- [European Commission: Coordinated actions, other travel services (car rental)](https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/coordinated-actions/other-travel-services_en)
- [ECC-Net: 55% of screened online car rental intermediaries violate EU law (14 July 2022)](https://www.eccnet.eu/news/55-screened-online-car-rental-intermediaries-violate-eu-law)
- [ECC-Net: Driving Change, stronger consumer protection in the car rental sector](https://www.eccnet.eu/publication/driving-change-stronger-consumer-protection-car-rental-sector)
- [Leaseurope: European Car Rental Conciliation Service](https://www.leaseurope.org/consumer-redress)
- [ECC Germany: Rental car on holiday, press release (German)](https://www.evz.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/mietwagen-urlaub/)
- [ECC-Net: Car rental, your rights](https://www.eccnet.eu/consumer-rights/what-are-my-consumer-rights/travel-and-passenger-rights/road-travel-rights/car)