Press Release: Commission seeks input on improving redress for consumers in cross-border claims

The European Commission on 19 March 2013 launched a public consultation on how to improve access to justice for consumers and small businesses in small-scale cross-border disputes.

The European Small Claims Procedure offers a cheap and easy way to resolve cross-border disputes for amounts below €2000, without complicated legal procedures. It can be used in cases where consumers need to enforce their rights, for example because of non-delivery of goods ordered from another EU country. But a report last year from the European Consumer Centres Network found that this user-friendly procedure is not yet widely known and is often under-used.

The European Commission is now asking for input from consumers, businesses and the general public on how the Small Claims Procedure currently operates and how it could be improved, simplified or modernised. The aim is to improve confidence in cross-border shopping, helping consumers and businesses make full use of Europe’s Single Market.

European Commission: Rapid: SPEECH/13/237: Towards a more coherent enforcement of EU consumer rules http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-237_en.htm

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