For several years, and following harmful scandals such as Dieselgate, the S&D Group in the European Parliament has championed the need to improve consumer rights through an EU-wide system of collective redress.
Today’s vote will make the S&Ds’ hard-fought position a reality. Throughout the EU, regardless of where somebody lives or where defective products were bought, consumers will be able to come together to take collective legal action.
Lara Wolters MEP, S&D spokesperson on collective redress, said:
“The S&D Group has always been committed to putting consumer interests first and today’s vote will mark a major step forward taking consumer protection to levels that go beyond national borders. With the new laws, we have made sure consumers all over Europe have access to justice, with people being able to join forces and seek EU-wide redress for harm done by big companies.
“We have made sure that passenger rights violations, for instance due to delays or poor service, are not left off the hook either. Despite fierce resistance from national and industry interests, we managed to get passenger rights fully in the scope of this law.”
Tiemo Wölken MEP, S&D spokesperson on legal affairs, said:
“This landmark legislation on collective redress is about putting consumers first. People that have suffered at the hands of rule-breaking companies will now have access to a collective redress throughout the entire EU. The new rules also mean member states will need to dismantle any barriers that consumer representation bodies might face, like limited financial resources, so that consumers are not prevented from joining forces either at home or across national borders.
“Increased transparency is always important and people need to know they are not alone in fighting for their rights. That is why we pushed to guarantee all information on ongoing collective actions is publicly available for everyone to see.”