Class actions such as the VW emissions scandal should in future be possible in all member states of the European Union.
The European Parliament finally adopted a corresponding introduction in the 27 EU states on Tuesday. Consumers should be able to enforce their rights vis-à-vis large companies more easily. Certain institutions such as consumer associations can then sue companies for injunctive relief and compensation on behalf of the injured party. The EU countries now have two years, their legislation accordingly
adapt.
Compensation is possible in the areas of data protection, financial services, health, and air and rail transport. In view of the many canceled flights this year, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said that representative actions are now more necessary than ever. The class actions provided solid protection for consumers.
The CDU MP Andreas Schwab, on the other hand, criticized the lack of uniformity in the design of the possibility of legal action in the individual EU countries.
According to Reynders, some states already have well-functioning regulations on representative actions. These should be retained. Social Democrat Lara Wolters warned that representative actions should not only be available for consumers and not only for EU citizens.
The background to the regulation are cases such as manipulated defeat devices with hundreds of thousands of victims. Each individual has little chance for himself – if only because he may lack the resources for a legal dispute against large companies. It looks different when consumers can join forces and sue together. Therefore, in 2018, the EU Commission proposed that collective actions be adopted across Europe
allow.
According to the Commission, collective redress already exists in 19 Member States, including Germany. With the new EU rules, consumers no longer have to sue for damages individually. They can also enforce their rights in other EU countries in the future.
