European and national rules governing representative actions and the protection of the collective interests of consumers.

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Directive (EU) 2020/1828

Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers establishes a common European framework for collective consumer redress.

The Directive requires Member States to ensure that representative actions can be brought by qualified entities. Such actions may seek:

• injunctive measures — to stop or prevent unlawful practices by traders;
• redress measures — enabling consumers to obtain appropriate forms of compensation or other remedies.

The Directive also establishes criteria for the designation of qualified entities, rules on domestic and cross-border representative actions, consumer information, the financing of proceedings and safeguards against abusive litigation.

Member States retain a certain degree of discretion when designing specific procedural rules. As a result, national representative action systems may differ across the EU.

👉 Read Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on EUR-Lex

Croatian legislation

In Croatia, Directive (EU) 2020/1828 was transposed into national law by the Act on Representative Actions for the Protection of Collective Interests and Rights of Consumers (Official Gazette No. 59/23).

The Act regulates:

• domestic and cross-border representative actions;
• the criteria and procedure for designating qualified entities;
• proceedings before the competent courts;
• injunctive and redress measures;
• consumer information;
• the financing of representative actions;
• court settlements and mediation;
• the publication of information on qualified entities and representative actions.

Proceedings concerning representative actions in Croatia fall within the jurisdiction of commercial courts. The ministry responsible for consumer protection publishes information on qualified entities, as well as on domestic and cross-border representative actions that are pending or have been finally concluded.

European framework

Representative actions form part of the broader system of consumer protection and access to justice in the European Union. Directive (EU) 2020/1828 applies to infringements of a range of EU rules protecting consumer interests, covering areas such as:

• unfair commercial practices;
• unfair contract terms;
• consumer rights in contracts;
• digital services and digital content;
• financial services;
• travel and tourism;
• energy;
• telecommunications;
• personal data protection;
• e-commerce and other areas covered by relevant EU legislation.

The Directive also enables cross-border cooperation — qualified entities from different Member States can join forces where the collective interests of consumers in several countries are affected by the same or similar practice. The European Commission plays an important role in monitoring the implementation of the Directive, facilitating the exchange of information and supporting the coordination of representative action systems across the EU.

Relevant documents

This section brings together the key legal and policy documents related to representative actions.

European Union

• Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions — including Annex I (EU legislation covered by the scope of the Directive) and relevant amendments
• European Commission — Representative Actions Directive — documents on the implementation of the Directive
• List of cross-border qualified entities — European Commission

Croatia

• Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette No. 19/22) — the fundamental act governing the protection of basic consumer rights in Croatia
• Act on Representative Actions for the Protection of Collective Interests and Rights of Consumers (Official Gazette No. 59/23)
• List of qualified entities