Roundtable on Alternative Dispute Resolution

A Roundtable on Alternative Dispute Resolution was held at the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts on 5 December 2023, organised by the Court of Honour of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts and the Mediation Centre.

By the 2017 Decision of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, and pursuant to the Alternative Resolution of Consumer Disputes Act, the Court of Honour and the Mediation Centre at the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts were notified as the bodies qualified for the alternative resolution of all domestic and cross-border online and offline consumer disputes in Croatia. The European Commission included them on the list of notified bodies for alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes, said Mirjana Magud, President of the Court of Honour of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts and the Mediation Centre at the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts.

The work part began with an introduction to the topic by Ivana Šimić, Secretary of the Court of Honour and the Centre for Mediation at the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, while the experts participating in the Roundtable discussion, focused on the issues of alternative dispute resolution in Croatia and digitalisation i.e. introduction of digital transition in dispute resolution, included judges of the Court of Honour of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (judges of regular courts, representatives of traders and craftsmen and of consumer protection associations), experts from ministries, mediation centres, higher education and attorneys.

On behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, on the topic of alternative consumer dispute resolution and the Online Dispute Resolution Platform, a presentation was delivered by Danijela Marković Krstić, Head of Department at the European Consumer Centre Croatia, who informed participants about the proposal for amendments to Directive 2013/11/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2009/22/EC (Directive on consumer ADR) and the reasons for the amendments.

The newly established Centre for Peaceful Dispute Resolution and the novelties introduced by the Peaceful Dispute Resolution Act were presented by Marin Vuković, Interim Director of the Centre for Peaceful Dispute Resolution, who announced the strengthening of cooperation between the Centre and the institutions registered for peaceful dispute resolution, as well as those established by law, such as the Mediation Centre at the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts.

Arijana Kozlevčar, specialist in the Civil and Commercial Law Sector of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration and Project Manager of the project “Reinforcing the system of court-annexed mediation”, presented the latest activities in the project, implemented until April 2024 and aimed at strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of the judicial system in the Republic of Croatia.

Jelena Uzelac, Vice-Dean for Teaching and Study Programmes at EFFECTUS University of Applied Sciences, presented the advantages and disadvantages of digitalisation as an indispensable development direction in entrepreneurship and everyday life of consumers, as well as in dispute resolution.

Ana Knežević, President of the Croatian Consumer Protection Association and Vice-President of the Croatian Consumer Union, spoke about consumer awareness of the possibilities of out-of-court dispute resolution, stressing the importance of dedicated efforts to raise awareness of both consumers and traders about all aspects of such a relationship, including informing them about the benefits of such dispute resolution.

It was concluded at the end that events like this present a good opportunity to exchange experiences and improve the cooperation of stakeholders active in the field of alternative dispute resolution in Croatia.