“Enhancing Consumer Protection in Greece through the Enactment of Directive 2020/1828”
(Contribution by Polyxeni Kretsovali, Associate and Kosmas Karanikolas, Senior Associate at Rokas Athens, published in Lexology, April 5, 2024).
Directive 2020/1828 regarding representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers has been enacted into Greek legislation via Law No. 5019/2023, which amended Law No. 2251/1994 on consumer protection.
It should be noted that, even prior to the enactment of Law No. 5019/2023, Greek law did encompass provisions on the protection of consumers’ collective rights, through their representation by competent Consumer Associations. However, these provisions were revised upon transposition of the aforementioned Directive, thus fortifying the consumer protection framework concerning the defense of their collective interests.
Specifically, the updated provisions introduce detailed requirements for establishing consumer associations, delineating their responsibilities and competences. The previous provision, which required consumer associations to have at least 500 active members and be registered in the relevant registry for a minimum of two years to be enabled to bring representative actions, has been abolished. Presently, consumer associations are authorized to bring representative actions upon approval of the Ministry of Development and Investments, provided they demonstrate genuine public activity for at least 12 months before applying for authorization, while
simultaneously disclosing information about such activity on their website. Upon obtaining the relevant authorization, the Association is registered in the registry, as set forth below.
The full article can be accessed on: Enhancing Consumer Protection in Greece through the Enactment of Directive 2020/1828 – Lexology
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