The Spanish authorities are obliged to defend consumers, protecting their safety, health and legitimate economic interests. This principle is contained in the law 26/84 for defence of consumers. It establishes the role of consumer associations in the defence and representation of rights and interest of users and consumers. The law also specifies the benefits derived from a consumer's turning to a consumer defence group and spells out the conflict-resolution avenues available to consumers.

Main consumer associations in Spain  
At the regional level there are groups worth pointing out such as Federation of Consumers and Users of Andalusia (FACUA) and which has been dealing with thousands of complaints and queries in that autonomous region since 1981.
 
The Federation of Independent Users and Consumers (FUCI), has more than 14 years of experience defending consumers. It is a nation-wide body made up of 58 associated federations, with representation in the main autonomous regions of Spain. 
 
The Spanish Confederation of Housewives and Users (CEACU); the Spanish Consumers Union (UCE) and the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) are some of the bodies defending consumer rights at the national level. In the sectorial level there is the Banking Services Users Association (AUSBANC), which concentrates on the financial area.

One of the most original and outstanding initiatives to promote information on consumer rights are the so-called red youths. This is a group of 139 jobless residents of Madrid, most of them long-term unemployed, who tour the Spanish capital sharing information with consumers in a bid to protect their rights. The red youths or chicos de rojo, alluding to the colour of their shirts, also gather information on consumer habits that most worry people so as to guide the city council in this area. For example, the groups give information about swimming pool safety, labels on meat, fish and farm produce, the right way to make pickled anchovies or the norms that grocery stores should follow, as well as recommendations for child nutrition and handling of frozen food. This experiment attempted in Madrid is scheduled to end in first months of 2004.