“Find the balance between communications and policy and shape the message together from the very beginning.”- Oriana Henry-BEUC-The European Consumers Organisation

Oriana Henry is Communications Officer at BEUC-The European Consumers Organisation, which represents independent consumer organisations to the EU institutions. It defends the interests of European consumers across a range of topics including digital rights, energy, food, health, safety, sustainability and trade policy.

What does the change you are trying to achieve look like? Why is the EU important?

Sixty years ago, people from across Europe came together to create what we now know as BEUC — united by a shared goal: to make sure consumers have a strong voice in the new European single market. From our office in Brussels, we’ve been working ever since to inform EU policies and ensure that consumers are always at the heart of every decision.

Today, we strive for a fair market where products and services are safe, competition is open, and consumers can easily seek redress and compensation when things go wrong.

Our work covers a wide range of complex topics and legislations. For instance, together with our members, we have called out airlines’ unfair hand luggage practices, exposing how they take advantage of consumers by charging extra fees that have already been declared illegal. Another example is our complaint against SHEIN for using ‘dark patterns’ — design tricks that push consumers into over-consuming fast fashion.

How are communication and policy advocacy connected?

As communicators, our role is to translate complexity — to make sure BEUC’s voice is heard in policymaking, but also that everyone, not just experts, understands what’s at stake.

We break down the messages, open up the conversation, and help people see that together, we can shape fairer markets and stronger consumer rights for all.

Which challenges are you facing?

We are well aware of the broader context and the many challenges it presents, but we always aim to remain solution-oriented.

One of our strengths is our ability to work across a wide range of topics and reach diverse audiences. This requires us to keep everyone engaged while ensuring that the information we share is clear, balanced and relevant.

Our aim is to contribute constructively to every debate, focusing on solutions rather than merely highlighting problems. Our goal is to ensure that everyone speaks the same language, understands what is at stake and can move forward together on common ground.

One tip you want to share with other public interest advocates?

We should think about communications from the outset, rather than as a separate stage. It’s important to look at the bigger picture right from the start — to balance communications and policy, learn from each other, and shape the message together from the beginning. That way, by the end, everyone understands and shares the same message.