Emilia MIŠĆENIĆ, Marina ŠIROLA
10.51204/Anali_PFBU_25102A
The rise of digital technology has driven progress but also enabled large-scale national and cross-border consumer law infringements. Unlawful digital practices threaten the internal market and the EU’s goal of high consumer protection. Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions aims to enhance enforcement by balancing access to justice and litigation abuse. Its key contribution is to ensure that consumers can seek injunctions and redress in all Member States. However, while a step forward, the Directive does not fully resolve issues of standing and funding, which hinder access to justice and effective enforcement. Addressing these challenges depends on the creativity and flexibility of national legislators, lawyers, and courts to make representative actions more practical and effective. This article examines the impact of the Directive and argues that additional efforts are crucial to overcome its limitations and ensure meaningful consumer protection across the EU.
- Amaro, Rafael, Maria José Azar-Baud, Sabine Corneloup, Bénédicte Fauvarque-Cosson, Fabienne Jault-Seseke. 2018. Collective redress in the Member States of the European Union. Study requested by the European Parliament’s committee on Legal Affairs. Directorate General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs. PE 608.829. Brussels: European Union. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2018/608829/IPOL_STU(2018)608829_EN.pdf (last visited January 1, 2025).
- AmCham EU. 2024. American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union. EU experiences and risks of unregulated third-party litigation funding: 1–14. Brussels: AmCham EU. https://www.amchameu.eu/system/files/position_papers/amcham_eu_tplf_september_2024.pdf (last visited February 5, 2025).
- Angstmann, Luca. 2024. The implementation of the EU Directive 2020/1828 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers – the same style in a different colour? International Bar Association. https://www.ibanet.org/implementation-eu-directive-collective-interest-consumers (last visited January 20, 2025).
- BEUC. 2022. Funding of collective redress: Financing options in the EU and beyond. Feasibility study of public third-party funding of collective redress actions and recommendation on existing funding options. BEUC:1–33. (last visited February 5, 2025).
- Biard, Alexandre. 2018. Collective redress in the EU: a rainbow behind the clouds? ERA Forum 19: 189–204.
- Biard-Denieul, Alexandre. 4/2024. Thunder Road: The Implementation of the Representative Actions Directive in Europe. Emory Int’l L. Rev. 38: 751–765.
- Biard, Alexandre, Xandra, Kramer. 2019. The EU Directive on representative actions for consumers: a milestone or another missed opportunity? Zeitschrift für Europäisches Privatrecht 249–259.
- Capelleti, Mauro. 1989. The Judicial Process in Comparative Perspective. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Caponi, Remo, Janek Tomasz, Novak. 2019. Access to Justice. 63–93 in Implementing EU Consumer Rights by National Procedural Law, edited by Burkhard Hess and Stephanie Law. Oxford: Beck, Chicago: Hart, Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Dayagi-Epstein, Orit. 2/2006. Representation of Consumer Interest by Consumer Associations – Salvation for the Masses? Competition Law Review 3: 209–249.
- Đurović, Mateja. 1/2024. How to protect consumers in the digital era: An example of the online choice architecture. Annals of the Faculty of Law in Belgrade 72: 1–20.
- Đurović, Mateja, Eleni, Kaprou. 2020. Collective Redress as an Ideal Model of Consumer Redress in the European Union? 161–177 in The Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers, edited by Katarina Ivančević. Belgrade: Pravni fakultet Univerziteta Union.
- ELI. 2024. Principles Governing the Third Party Funding of Litigation. Vienna: European Law Institute: 1–98.
- European Commission. 2017. An evaluation study of national procedural laws and practices in terms of their impact on the free circulation of judgements and on the equivalence and effectiveness of the procedural protection of consumers under EU consumer law. Report prepared by a Consortium of European universities led by the MPI Luxembourg for Procedural Law as commissioned by the European Commission. JUST/2014/RCON/PR/CIVI/0082. Strand 2. Procedural Protection of consumers. Brussels: European Union.
- European Commission. 2021. Report of 26 November 2021. Workshop on the implementation of the Representative Actions Directive (EU) 2020/1828. https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2f43b95f-bafe-4d6d-9c1b-a88276216f85_en?filename=1_8_197488_summary_report_rad_workshop.pdf (last visited January 31, 2025).
- Galič, Aleš, Ana Vlahek. 2019. Challenges in Drafting and Applying the New Slovenian Collective Actions Act. 215–248 in Class Actions in Europe, Holy Grail or a Wrong Trail? Edited by Alan Uzelac and Stefaan Voet. Cham: Springer.
- Hess, Burkhard, Law, Stephanie (eds). 2019. Implementing EU Consumer Rights by National Procedural Law. Oxford: Beck, Chicago: Hart, Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Hodges, Christopher. 2013. Collective Redress: A Breakthrough or a Damp Sqibb? Journal of Consumer Policy 37: 67–89.
- Homburger, Adolf. 2/1974. Private Suits in the Public Interest in the United States of America. Buffalo Law Review 23: 343–410.
- Howells, Geraint. 2009. Collective Consumer Redress Reform: Will it Be a Paper Tiger? 329–343 in New Frontiers of Consumer Protection: The Interplay Between Private and Public Enforcement, edited by Fabrizio Cafaggi and Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz. Antwerp: Intersentia.
- Kadri, Thomas, Ignacio Cofone. 2020. Cy Près Settlements in Privacy Class Actions. 99–112 in Class Actions in Privacy Law, edited by Ignacio Cofone. London and New York: Routledge.
- Kramer, Xandra, Ianika Tzankova, Jos Hoevenaars, Karlijn van Doorn. 2023. Utility, necessity, design and costs of a (revolving) litigation fund for collective actions. English Summary. Tilburg University, Erasmus School of Law. https://repository.wodc.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12832/3294/3279-nut-noodzaak-vormgeving-kosten-processenfonds-collectieve-acties-summary.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y (last visited February 5, 2025).
- Mišćenić, Emilia. 5/2022. Case Note on Meta Platforms Ireland (EuGH v. 28.4.2022 – C-319/20). Zeitschrift für das Privatrecht der Europäischen Union 19: 206–210.
- Mišćenić, Emilia, Piotr Tereszkiewicz. 6/2024. Towards a New Digital Fairness Act! Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 13: 229–233.
- Mišćenić, Emilia. 2024. Information, Transparency and Fairness for Consumers in the Digital Environment. 81–118 in Digital Vulnerability in European Private Law, edited by Camilla Crea and Alberto De Franceschi. Baden-Baden: Nomos.
- Mišćenić, Emilia. 2023a. Croatia: Something from Nothing. 223–243 in The Transformation of Consumer Law and Policy in Europe, edited by Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz and Christian Twigg-Flessner. London: Bloomsbury.
- Mišćenić, Emilia. 3/2023b. Unfair Treatment of Banks in Croatian Collective Redress Proceedings on Swiss Franc Loans. Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 12: 118–123.
- Mišćenić, Emilia. 2019. The Effectiveness of Judicial Enforcement of the EU Consumer Protection Law. 129–152 in Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law, edited by Zlatan Meškić, Ivana Kunda, Dušan V. Popović and Enis Omerović. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
- Micklitz, Hans-Wolfgang. 2007. Collective private enforcement of consumer law: the key questions. 13–36 in Collective Enforcement of Consumer Law: Securing Compliance in Europe Through Private Group Action and Public Authority Intervention, edited by Willem van Boom and Marco Loos. Groningen: Europa Law Publishing.
- Miller, Geoffrey. 2009. Compensation and Deterrence in Consumer Class Actions in the United State and Europe. 263–281 in New Frontiers of Consumer Protection: The Interplay Between Private and Public Enforcement, edited by Fabrizio Cafaggi and Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz. Antwerp: Intersentia.
- Mucha, Jagna. 7/2020. Approaching consumer collective redress in the EU: business-oriented perspective. Business Law Journal 73: 22–26.
- Nagy, Csongor Istvan. 3/2020. The Long-Awaited Directive on Representative Actions: Still Waiting for Godot. Revista Ítalo-Española de Derecho Procesal 2: 127–138.
- Nagy, Csongor Istvan. 2019. Collective Actions in Europe: A Comparative, Economic and Transsystemic Analysis. Cham: Springer Briefs in Law.
- Namysłowska, Monika. 2024. Behind the Digital Curtain: The Need for Digital Transparency to Establish Digital Fairness. Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 13: 255–262.
- Pavillon, Charlotte. 2023. Effective Judicial Protection, Private Enforcement and the Reshaping of Substantive Remedies. 65–80 in The Transformation of Consumer Law and Policy in Europe, edited by Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, Christian Twigg-Flessner, London: Bloomsbury.
- Piché, Catherine. 2019. Empirical Data and the Powerful Lessons Learnt About Class Actions in Quebec. 321–343 in Class Actions in Europe, Holy Grail or a Wrong Trail? Edited by Alan Uzelac and Stefaan Voet. Cham: Springer.
- Poretti, Paula. 2019. Collective Redress in the European Union: Current Issues and Future Outlook. EU and Comparative Law Issues and Challenges Series 3 (ECLIC 3) 339–362.
- Rodrigues, Luis Silveira. 2022. Report from discussion paper 1. Workshop on the implementation of the Representative Actions Directive.
- (EU) 2020/1828. https://commission.europa.eu/publications/workshop-implementation-representative-actions-directive-eu-20201828_en (last visited February 2, 2025).
- Rott, Peter. 6/2020. Editorial. A proper EU collective redress mechanism, finally. Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 9: 223–225.
- Safjan, Marek, Lukasz Gorywoda, Agnieszka Janczuk. 2009. Taking the collective interest of consumers seriously: A view from Poland. 171–206 in New Frontiers of Consumer Protection: The Interplay Between Private and Public Enforcement, edited by Fabrizio Cafaggi and Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz. Antwerp: Intersentia.
- Sahani, Victoria. 3/2017. Reshaping Third-Party Funding. Tulane Law Review 91: 405–472.
- Shiel, Cecily. 2/2015. A New Generation of Class Action Cy Pres Remedies: Lessons from Washington State, Washington Law Review 90: 943–991.
- Stuyck, Jules. 2009. Public and Private Enforcement in Consumer Protection: General comparison EU-USA. 63–90 in New Frontiers of Consumer Protection: The Interplay Between Private and Public Enforcement, edited by Fabrizio Cafaggi and Hans Micklitz. Antwerp: Intersentia.
- Stadler, Astrid. 2013. The Commission’s Recommendation on common principles of collective redress and private international law issues. Nederlands Internationaal Privaatrecht 4: 483–488.
- Stadler, Astrid, Micklitz, Hans-Wolfgang. 2003. Der Reformvorschlag der UWG-Novelle für eine Verbandsklage auf Gewinnabschöpfung. Wettbewerb in Recht und Praxis 5: 559–562.
- Stadler, Astrid. 2009. Group Actions as a Remedy to enforce Consumer Interests. 305–327 in New Frontiers of Consumer Protection: The Interplay Between Private and Public Enforcement, edited by Fabrizio Cafaggi and Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz. Cambridge: Intersentia.
- Stöhr, Alexander. 8/2020. The Implementation of Collective Redress: A Comparative Approach. German Law Journal 21: 1606–1624.
- Van Boom, Willem, Marco Loos. 2007. Effective enforcement of consumer law in Europe, private, public and collective mechanisms. 231–254 in Collective Enforcement of Consumer Law: Securing Compliance in Europe Through Private Group Action and Public Authority Intervention, edited by Willem Van Boom and Marco Loos. Groningen: Europa Law Publishing.
- Voet, Stefaan. 2017. ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ – Reflections on the State and Future of European Collective Redress. 105–140 in Waves in Contract and Liability Law in Three Decades of Ius Commune, edited by Marco B. M. Loos and Anne L. M. Keirse. Cambridge: Intersentia.
- Voet, Stefaan, Stien Dethier. 2024. Bridging the EU consumer enforcement pathways in mass harm situations. BEUC: 1–106 https://www.beuc.eu/sites/default/files/publications/BEUC-X-2024–005_Bridging_the_EU_consumer_enforcement_pathways_in_mass_harm_situations.pdf (last visited February 25, 2025).
- Vrbljanac, Danijela. 6/2024. Non-Transparancy by Design. Case Note on Meta Platforms Ireland (Action représentative). Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 13: 270–273.
- Uzelac, Alan, Stefaan Voet. 2021. Collectivisation of European Civil Procedure: Are We Finally Close to a (Negative) Utopia. 3–16 in Class Actions in Europe. Holy Grail or a Wrong Trail?, edited by Alan Uzelac and Stefaan Voet. Cham: Springer.
Затворено за коментаре