The European Parliament has backed a new law that would allow consumer groups to launch collective action in the European Union for the purposes of injunction or redress, according to a press release published on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2020) The European Parliament has backed a new law that would allow consumer groups to launch collective action in the European Union for the purposes of injunction or redress, according to a press release published on Tuesday.
"The European class action model will allow only qualified entities, such as consumer organisations, to represent groups of consumers and bring lawsuits to court, instead of law firms," the press release read.
Geoffroy Didier, a French member of the European Parliament who is the rapporteur for the new law, said that the measure would help strike a balance between the interests of consumers and businesses.
"With this new directive, we found a balance between more consumer protection and giving businesses the legal certainty that they need. At a time when Europe is being severely tested, the EU has demonstrated that it can deliver and adapt to new realities, better protect its citizens and offer them new concrete rights in response to globalisation and its excesses," Didier said in the press release.
Member states will be given 24 months to write the new EU measure into their national laws, and a further six months to implement the new directive, according to the press release.
The latest directive is part of the European Union's New Bill for Consumers, which was proposed by the European Commission back in 2018 following a series of incidents involving multinational companies. At that time, the commission cited the Dieselgate scandal, which came to light in 2015 after it was revealed that Volkswagen had used illegal software to cheat engine emissions tests.
