Round Table “Mediation in Consumer Disputes”

An online Round Table on the topic of “Mediation in Consumer Disputes”, organised by the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration under the project “Reinforcing the system of court-annexed mediation”, co-financed by Norway Grants, was held on 30 November 2021.

The Round Table was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Croatian Mediation Association, mediation centres, a consumer protection association and representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration. 

The mediation procedure is suitable for consumer disputes in cases involving leasing companies versus lessees, in which the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA) found that the leasing companies provided leasing services on unfair terms. There are tens of thousands of such disputes, which would be better resolved in mediation centres than in lengthy court proceedings with expert reports.

A representative of the consumer protection association highlighted her experiences in consumer dispute mediation and highlighted a lack of promotion of mediation in consumer disputes.

The participants also discussed a modern online platform and a manner to handle large numbers of consumer complaints, including the possibility of developing and using standardised answers in situations where a large number of similar complaints about purchased goods are expected, especially concerning online shopping.

It was concluded that there is a need for strengthening the protection of consumer rights, raising the awareness about mediation and informing consumers and traders about the possibilities of mediation through public campaigns as well as to raise awareness of public institutions about the importance of mediation.