Keith NuthallA European Extra-Judicial Network, which allows consumers to
solve cross-border disputes with e-commerce and distance selling
retailers across the European Union, is to be operational by the
end of this summer.
At a conference on the initiative in Lisbon, EU consumer affairs
commissioner David Byrne formally announced that the system of
national clearing houses, allowing consumers to seek compensation
in any EU country via local out-of-court dispute resolution
systems, would be operating "by the second half of this year".
An EU paper said that a "single, one-stop national contact
point" should be established in each member state. It said this
would help dissatisfied consumers make a claim to the out-of-court
dispute resolution system in the country where the business is
located from which the products or services were acquired.
Byrne said, "The EEJ-net marks an important milestone to give
consumers access to simple, low cost and effective means of
resolving cross border conflicts.
"I expect the EEJ-net to be a flexible and evolving structure
that will accommodate new and diverse schemes as they develop, make
use of new technologies and provide the most efficient and
effective access to justice for consumers."