Great success for consumer protection in Brandenburg: budget funds secured!

Great success for consumer protection in Brandenburg: budget funds secured!

A significant step for consumer protection in Brandenburg: On June 22, 2025, the coalition factions in the state parliament unanimously passed the budget resolution for financial support of the Brandenburg Consumer Center (VZB) for the years 2025 and 2026. The state of Brandenburg is thus securing funding for independent consumer work, which managing director Christian A. Rumpke described as a positive day for consumer protection. The aim of the funding is to strengthen individual advice, legal enforcement and comprehensive information for the country's citizens, such as barnim-aktuell.de reported.

How are consumers in Brandenburg doing? The VZB is available at six advice centers and 32 so-called Digimobile stops to offer support with challenges such as unfair providers and cost traps. Especially in times of high energy costs and rising food prices, offering expert advice is more important than ever. The independent advice is fully supported by the democratic factions in the state parliament.

Funding and support

A funding amount of 2,591,900 euros was decided for 2024, and the approved budget provides for financing of 2,733,743 euros for 2025. This also includes necessary tariff increases and inflation adjustments, which were set out in a multi-year agreement with the Ministry of Consumer Protection. For 2026, the funding amount was increased to 2,800,000 euros. This is clear progress compared to previous budget drafts, as they had planned for significantly lower funding amounts and a funding gap of over 12% was expected for the current year.

The VZB not only offers personal advice, but also innovative online tools, sample letters and free web seminars. These offers are important for investments and retirement planning, especially at a time when many people need to pay attention to their finances. Independent advice is more important than ever to avoid falling into cost traps.

Data protection and legal support

Another central aspect of the VZB’s work is data protection. The Consumer Center Brandenburg e.V. is responsible for data processing and is headed by Dr. Christian A. Rumpke is standing. The facility works closely with the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center to ensure that the data of those seeking advice is protected in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All data storage and processing processes are clearly defined and ensure the security of users' personal information. Details can be found on the website Brandenburg Consumer Center and the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center.

VZB's offering also includes specialized advisory tools and document generators that support consumers in legal matters. Data protection is always maintained and those seeking advice have the opportunity to assert their rights with regard to information, correction and deletion of their data at any time.

Securing and strengthening consumer rights therefore remains an ongoing process in which the Brandenburg Consumer Center plays a crucial role. With the new financing behind it, the VZB will be able to optimally support even more Brandenburg residents, be it in direct consultations or through comprehensive online resources.