Following the conclusion of its fitness check of the consumer acquis in 2017, the European Commission published its ‘New Deal for Consumers’ in April 2018. The package, which aims to improve the enforcement of consumer rights in the digital age, includes a revision of the Injunctions Directive introducing a new collective redress mechanism for individuals affected by mass harm situations.

Experience in the US and several EU Member States shows that such mechanisms risk creating a culture of abusive litigation unless combined with a rigorous framework of safeguards and alternative out-of-court settlement mechanisms. At this breakfast event, experts from both sides of the Atlantic will consider the Commission’s proposal and discuss how best to facilitate access to justice while ensuring any new redress mechanism protects all parties from the dangers of abusive and profit-driven litigation.