Pia Valota
AEC Secretary General
AEC - Association of European Consumers
Socially and Environmentally Aware
Tel: +32 2 545 90 74
Fax: +32 2 545 90 76
Rue du Commerce 70-72
1040 Brussels
aec@belgacom.net

ACU presidency member for international relations
ACU - Associazione Consumatori Utenti ONLUS
via Bazzini 4
20131 Milano . ITALY
Tel: +39 (0)2 706 4151
Fax: +39 (0)2 706 36 777
associazione@acu.it

Pia Valota joined the consumers' movement in the early 90s, choosing the Italian consumers association ACU - Associazione Consumatori Utenti (a not-for-profit NGO) because of its great independence (it is based on voluntary work) and care for serious knowledge. At present she is the President of ACU's Lombard regional office, and the member of the ACU national presidency for international relations.

As an architect having specialized in the standardization of issues among others, she is the Italian member of ANEC - European Association for Consumers' participation to standardization.

ACU being a founder of the European umbrella association AEC, she has recently been named AEC Secretary General. AEC's full name is Association of European Consumers Socially and Environmentally Aware. AEC advocates for Responsible Consumption, i.e. a more comprehensive approach to consumption issues than just consumer-buyer.