In Moldova, consumers will be able to take collective action against dishonest sellers and collective compensation for damage to consumers will be regulated by a more effective mechanism
This is envisaged by the draft Law on Representative Claims for the Protection of Collective Interests of Consumers, which the Parliament adopted in the first reading. This legislative initiative was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization with the support of experts from the EU Delegation to our country. The document, which transposes the EU Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on consumer protection, will create an institutional framework that will allow qualified organizations to effectively and collectively represent the interests of consumers. Currently, Moldovan legislation has a general procedure for collective claims regulated by the Civil Procedure Code, but there is no effective procedural mechanism that could be applied to collective representative claims for compensation for damage to consumers. Thus, after the adoption of the Law on Representative Claims for the Protection of Collective Interests of Consumers in Moldova, citizens will no longer have to fight alone if a trader sells low-quality products or uses misleading methods. According to the authors, the implementation of the draft law will allow consumers to take collective action against unfair commercial practices. They will be able to obtain appropriate remedies for the damage caused to them, including financial compensation, repair or replacement of damaged goods, price reduction or termination of the contract. This will be possible if the trader sells defective products or misleads many consumers. Consumers will not have to defend their rights alone, as their interests will be represented by qualified organizations. The draft law establishes that qualified entities are legal entities created in accordance with the current legislation, independent non-profit organizations. Their activities are aimed at protecting the interests of consumers. According to the procedure, they will have to obtain the consumer's written consent for the qualified organization to represent them. The law is to be adopted in the second reading and will enter into force 12 months after publication in the Monitorul Oficial. As the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization reported earlier, the key point of the aforementioned law is the introduction of a system of compensation for losses, which allows interested parties - consumers and traders - to reach an agreement that will allow problems to be resolved quickly and fairly. //13.02.2025 — InfoMarket.
