Application for the approval as body responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes in the EEJ-Net

    Application for the approval as body responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes in the EEJ-Net

    According to Nr 10 (3) of the Council Resolution 25 May 2000 the Member States should “encourage cooperation between professional and economic organisations and consumer organisations with a view to contributing to the activities of out-of-court bodies and the contact points…”.

    So an active cooperation between the bodies responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, the national ministries of justice and the Clearing Houses is of great importance.
    An ADR-Workshop on “How to reinforce the quality of ADR through the notification process” has been organized by the European Commission on 30 January 2004. Were invited the representatives of the national ministries, the Clearing Houses and different ADR-bodies. You can find more information on
    http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/redress/out_of_court/adr/acce_just_13_en.htm.

    Until today, more than 400 ADR-bodies have been registered in the Europe-wide database of the European Extra-Judicial Network (EEJ-Net). The cooperation with the EEJ-Net can be used as a seal of approval for business connections, as the ADR-bodies have to meet the requirements of the “Recommendation 98/257/CE on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes”. This recommendation ensures that the ADR-procedures offer the parties a minimum number of quality guarantees as independence, transparency, effectiveness, adversarial principle, legality, liberty and representation.

    Since October 2001 the Clearing Houses in cooperation with the European Commission and the competent national ministries are working on an extension of this database in order to enter further ADR-bodies, if appropriate, in this list.

    An ample network of numerous qualified ADR-bodies should guarantee an extensive protection of the European Consumer.

    Therefore the German Clearing House and the Federal Ministry of Justice welcome and appreciate every new application for the approval as body responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes in the EEJ-Net

    A notification of your body responsible for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes in the EEJ-Net is of general economic interest. If you should be interested by such a notification for your organisation, please send us a self-assessment with the aid of the questionnaire you can find here in German or English, the standing rules of procedure of the supporting agency and your last activity report.

    The definite notification of your organisation, as to say the registration at the European Commission, shall be administered by the competent ministry of justice. You will be informed beforehand about this notification.

    Please feel free to contact the Head of the German Clearing House Mr. Christian Moritz (mailto:[email protected]) or the competent consultant of the German Federal Ministry of Justice Mrs. Wermter (mailto:[email protected]).