{"id":1634,"date":"2025-09-13T14:27:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xnet.cromamedia.com\/xnet-advierte-del-peligro-para-los-derechos-de-los-consumidores-si-la-ue-impide-la-accion-colectiva\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T09:53:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T07:53:31","slug":"xnet-warns-of-the-danger-to-consumers-rights-if-the-eu-prevents-collective-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/xnet-warns-of-the-danger-to-consumers-rights-if-the-eu-prevents-collective-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Xnet warns of the danger to consumers\u2019 rights if the EU prevents collective action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"font-size: 100%; margin: 6px 0; border: 1px solid #e00f2f; padding: 20px 5% 10px;\">\n<p>UPDATE SEPTEMBER 13, 2025<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Dear <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MSocialGob?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MSocialGob<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p>We would like to tell you a story (1\/3).<\/p>\n<p>Once upon a time (2020) there was a new EU Consumer Directive which, based on our experience uncovering <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/tarjetasBlack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#tarjetasBlack<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CasoBankia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CasoBankia<\/a>, we criticised for not facilitating citizen-led actions similar to our own\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QJle7XqPoT\">pic.twitter.com\/QJle7XqPoT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Xnet \u2013 Institute for Democratic Digitalisation (@X_net_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_net_\/status\/1966895091236098414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">(2\/3) Here are the reasons for our criticism -&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DAECB4BKMz\">https:\/\/t.co\/DAECB4BKMz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We even proposed how to fix it (2018 \u2014 yes, we are forward-thinking :)) -&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sn4bheglA3\">https:\/\/t.co\/sn4bheglA3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Since then, we have been waiting for it to be transposed in Spain to see whether its shortcomings can be corrected during transposition. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bnwAchpDsI\">pic.twitter.com\/bnwAchpDsI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Xnet \u2013 Institute for Democratic Digitalisation (@X_net_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_net_\/status\/1966895118582940058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">(3\/3) But the time neverrrrr comes. As you can see, Spain is lagging behind by about 3 years.<\/p>\n<p>Could you contact us? We can fix it and give it a little push together.<br \/>\nThank you in advance! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fRVzPctJ9x\">pic.twitter.com\/fRVzPctJ9x<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Xnet \u2013 Institute for Democratic Digitalisation (@X_net_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_net_\/status\/1966895144877146164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>ORIGINAL POST JANUARY 9, 2020<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 120%;\"><strong>\u201cA New Deal for Consumers in Europe\u201d \u2013 A missed opportunity to guarantee collective defence for consumers and citizens?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 100%; margin: 6px 0; border: 1px solid #e00f2f; padding: 20px 5% 10px;\">\n<p><strong>The purpose of this document is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">to ensure that, within the framework of the trilogues to approve the new directive starting next Friday, January 8,<\/span> the right of citizens to self-organise in order to carry out independent collective actions is not overlooked, both within Member States and at transnational level, in the context of the forthcoming Directive on Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers \u2013 2018\/0089(COD)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And, even more importantly, in view of the intention expressed by the European Commission to <em>\u201cguarantee more rights for consumers while preventing abuse\u201d<\/em>, we seek to defend access to effective judicial protection and freedom of association for the purpose of collective defence at European level as the two basic pillars on which the future European Directive should be based.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The European Commission presented its flagship project for \u201cA New Framework for Consumers\u201d (New Deal for Consumers) in its State of the Union address on September 13, 2017.<\/p>\n<p>This regulatory package, which included a proposal for a Directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, was presented as a major achievement in access to justice and compensation for large groups of citizens affected by the same case. The Commission presented this initiative as a solution for citizens who, for various reasons, would normally not litigate (excessive costs, uncertain prospects of success in court against large corporations), and especially for European jurisdictions that still lack legal mechanisms enabling this efficiently. The Commission cited the Dieselgate scandal as an example of the inability of car buyers to pursue collective actions in most EU countries.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed Directive entering the trilogue phase establishes that Member States will designate a <strong>limited<\/strong> number of qualified entities that will have exclusivity under the EU\u2019s proposed collective action regime at national level. This is a \u201cminimum harmonisation\u201d Directive: for those EU countries that already have collective action systems\u2014which, incidentally, generally already allow only consumer associations to initiate them, such as Italy, Belgium or Spain\u2014those countries will preserve their existing national systems, which will coexist with a new regime common to all EU Member States.<\/p>\n<p>In this regard, we are particularly concerned that the possibility of providing more agile solutions is being closed off by allowing only a <strong>limited<\/strong> number of entities to be granted standing to represent a large number of citizens. The Commission\u2019s proposed Directive 2018\/0089\/COD could have been a major opportunity to address the gaps in the multitude of existing national collective systems\u2014so far, only the Portuguese system grants its citizens effective access to collective action\u2014while also extending collective action to other European jurisdictions that still lack such mechanisms.<\/p>\n<p>However, one of the key concerns for the Commission in its proposal was to \u201cprevent abusive litigation\u201d, as stated in its document <em>\u201cThe New Deal for Consumers \u2013 How will the new Collective redress mechanism work?\u201d<\/em>. \u201cAbusive litigation\u201d is understood primarily as actions by large law firms that can accumulate cases to exert pressure on certain companies in ways that resemble blackmail more than the pursuit of justice. We believe that the current drafting of the European Commission\u2019s proposal\u2014legitimately concerned about the excesses of the US litigation system\u2014nevertheless creates a grievance in Europe, where such a system does not exist, by <strong>preventing groups of affected people from joining together on a NON-permanent basis<\/strong> in a single case, which would also help alleviate court congestion\u2014currently, law firms can only accumulate cases, not consolidate them. We also believe it is <strong>flawed to limit the number of authorised organisations<\/strong> allowed to take corporations to court on behalf of groups of citizens or consumers.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to our general concern regarding restrictions on civil society\u2019s ability to litigate in cases of corporate abuse, and in light of the Commission\u2019s original proposal, the final position adopted by the European Parliament in plenary vote in Strasbourg on March 26, 2019, in our view promotes an even more restrictive approach, which remains in the version now approved by the Council and under debate. According to our analysis, this entails:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>An unjustified limitation<\/strong> on access to collective representation by civil society, particularly activists and ad hoc groups, and a general limitation on the right to freedom of association for the collective defence of citizens\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Furthermore, the Commission refers to transnational cooperation between institutions, but not to collaboration between entities or even to standing to act in other Member States. It should indeed be envisaged that an entity with standing to bring collective actions <strong>should be able to act in any Member State and include affected persons from any Member State, or that persons affected by transnational abuses<\/strong> (such as Dieselgate) <strong>should be able to join ad hoc<\/strong> on a transnational basis in order to litigate.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Finally, for collective actions to be truly effective and to avoid undue delays, courts must be provided with adequate human and material resources. <strong>Justice delayed is justice denied<\/strong>. For this reason, we propose setting a maximum time limit for case resolution.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, we call for the trilogues to advocate for a Directive that guarantees European citizens\u2019 rights to a system of collective action based on the following fundamental principles:<\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 30px 5% 10px;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">PROPOSAL<\/p>\n<p>1. CIVIL SOCIETY STANDING.- Coexistence between traditional consumer associations and <strong>temporary \u201cad hoc\u201d citizen platforms created for the purpose of collective action<\/strong>. The latter, of course, will not persist after the case is closed; their limited purpose therefore radically reduces the possibility of misconduct or abuse.<\/p>\n<p>2. TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION \u2013 Allow both consumer associations and platforms of affected persons to include citizens from any Member State and to have standing to act in any Member State.<\/p>\n<p>3. TIME LIMIT \u2013 To guarantee effective judicial protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Signed by:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>XNET<\/strong>, an activist platform for democratic improvement in the digital era (<a href=\"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/xnet-x.net<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>This document was prepared in collaboration with Juan Manuel Viver, consultant on financial consumer protection and currently a consumer representative on the Consultative Group of the European Securities and Markets Authority (SMSG).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Draft law proposal by the signatories to be considered as a practical example for a better understanding of the possibilities raised:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/ley-demandas-colectivas-acumuladas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/ley-demandas-colectivas-acumuladas\/<\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 European Commission press release on the New Deal for Consumers, April 11, 2018:<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/europa.eu\/rapid\/press-release_IP-18-3041_en.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/europa.eu\/rapid\/press-release_IP-18-3041_en.htm <\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 The New Deal for Consumers \u2013 How will the new Collective redress mechanism work? European Commission, April 2018<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/sites\/info\/files\/ndc_factsheet4_redress_mechanism.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/sites\/info\/files\/ndc_factsheet4_redress_mechanism.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 European Commission proposal for a Directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/HTML\/?uri=CELEX:52018PC0184&amp;from=EN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/HTML\/?uri=CELEX:52018PC0184&amp;from=EN <\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 European Parliament final position on the Directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/sides\/getDoc.do?type=TA&amp;language=EN&amp;reference=P8-TA-2019-0222\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/sides\/getDoc.do?type=TA&amp;language=EN&amp;reference=P8-TA-2019-0222 <\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, and repealing Directive 2009\/22\/EC<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/PDF\/?uri=CONSIL:ST_14600_2019_INIT&amp;from=EN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/PDF\/?uri=CONSIL:ST_14600_2019_INIT&amp;from=EN<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UPDATE SEPTEMBER 13, 2025 Dear @MSocialGob, We would like to  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recomendaciones-de-politicas","category-technopolitics-hacktivism-artivism"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1634"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1638,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634\/revisions\/1638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xnet-x.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}