Brussels, 13/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Further clarity was brought on Tuesday 12 October to what is expected to be, as part of the European Commission objective, a European collective appeals system to strengthen appeals opportunities for companies and citizens who have been denied their rights in the area of competition or European consumer law.
This future EU collective appeals system is part of a coherent framework, guided by common principles in different sectors. It is compatible with European law and the law in the 27 member states. It is not really comparable to the US “class-action” because its remit will be much broader and guarantee an integrated approach.
The college of commissioners has given its support to the approach advocated by the three respective commissioners responsible - Viviane Reding, responsible for justice and fundamental rights, Joaquín Almunia, the commissioner for competition, and John Dalli, his colleague responsible for consumer policy - indicated Pia Ahrenkilde, the Commission spokesperson on Thursday after discussions (EUROPE 10233).
In order for it to be able to develop its reflection, the Commission will invite all stakeholders to provide a contribution on how to tackle this issue. A public consultation will therefore be launched in November and will be concluded in February 2011. The analysis of the contributions will be concluded in the summer of 2011. The Commission will therefore be able to present a communication on an integrated approach to collective appeals, which goes beyond the prerogatives of EU consumers, as initially envisaged by the Barroso I Commission in its 2008 Green Paper on collective consumer appeals. (A.N./transl.fl).