Utenti e servizi pubblici locali nel codice del consumo: belle proclamazioni e poca effettività?

The essay retraces the evolution of consumers’ private law – in particular, it emphasises the rights and remedies available to users of national and local public services: the analyses of recent legislation – with a particular reference to the code of consumption – explains how the users of public services have acquired new rights (among which that of predetermination of qualitative and quantitative standards) which may be sought in sources that are different from the legislative ones and, most of all, from the service charters. The interaction among these new sources and users’ contracts offers the data interpreter an interesting picture, from which the author draws some stunning conclusions.