European Justice Forum

📣Big news! Today we’re thrilled to unveil the very first edition of EJF’s EU Newsletter 🇪🇺 This exciting new initiative from the European Justice Forum (#EJF) is your go-to monthly snapshot of what truly matters in EU policy - smart, sharp, and straight to the point. From collective redress and litigation funding to ADR and the latest regulatory developments - we’ve brought everything together in one powerful, easy-to-digest read. Inside this edition: 🔴 EJF Policy Corner 📖 Must-read insights 🇪🇺 Key EU updates 📝 Open consultations Clear. Concise. Impact-driven. 📩 Don’t miss out — subscribe now 👉 europeanjusticeforum.org/members/materi… #EU #newsletter #publicpolicy #EJF #Europe #EUJustice

🇫🇷 France Takes the Lead on Regulating Third-Party Litigation Funding ⚖️ France has just taken a major step forward in shaping the future of collective redress. With the publication of Decree No. 2025-1191, implementing the DDADUE 5 law, the country now has one of the most structured and transparent frameworks in Europe 🇪🇺 for class actions supported by third-party funders. Why is this important? 🔹 Access to justice requires not only rights, but also the procedural tools to enforce them. Prior to this decree, gaps in the French regime limited the practical use of class actions. 🔹 The new accreditation system acts as a critical safeguard—ensuring only qualified, independent organisations can bring collective actions. This protects both consumers and businesses from inadequate representation or opportunistic claims. 🔹 France introduces strong transparency requirements, going beyond the EU’s Representative Actions Directive. Entities must now disclose funders, amounts, and key terms of funding agreements at the time the action is filed—strengthening accountability and reducing conflicts of interest. This is a balanced and measured approach: third‑party funding is allowed, but only within clear boundaries. As long as these rules are robustly applied, France can expect: ✔️ more predictable and fair mass claims ✔️ better consumer protection ✔️ reduced exposure of businesses to abusive litigation ✔️ a more efficient system for dealing with mass harm The implications go beyond France 🌍. With over 300 funders active across the EU and no harmonised framework, this decree could serve as a model for broader EU‑level safeguards, reducing fragmentation and improving legal certainty across the Single Market. As calls grow for EU‑wide rules on litigation funding, France’s proactive stance 🇫🇷 may help guide Europe toward a more transparent, fair, and consumer‑friendly collective redress landscape. 📄 The full opinion is available on the EJF website: lnkd.in/d9FS6Vbx #LitigationFunding #CollectiveRedress #AccessToJustice #EUlaw #France #ConsumerProtection #LegalReform #EUJustice #EJF

📣 Legal and business perspective from Francisco Marti, Head Legal Key Markets at @sanofi and a member of the European Justice Forum (#EJF). His message reinforces the need for a balanced approach that secures both consumer trust and AI-driven innovation in the Nordics. 🇸🇪🇩🇰🇫🇮 🗨️ “We trust the Nordic EU Member States will strike the right balance in the implementation of the Product Liability Directive. Consumers must be confident that they are protected in an increasingly digital and AI-driven marketplace, but this protection must go hand in hand with a legal framework that preserves legal certainty, supports innovations, and safeguards the global competitiveness of European companies.” Francisco Marti, @sanofi | #EJF Member With the EU’s revised Product Liability Directive (#PLD) approaching national implementation, the stakes are high for digital innovation particularly in #AI. 📊 A new report by @ECIPE, commissioned by EJF, examines how the Nordic countries can lead the way with clarity, legal certainty, and proportionate rules that encourage innovation. 📘 The study sets out 5 key recommendations to balance protection and progress: 1️⃣ Legal clarity on digital & AI liability 2️⃣ Harmonised guidance from the European Commission 3️⃣ Proportionate liability rules that avoid chilling innovation 4️⃣ Alignment with existing digital & data laws 5️⃣ Maintaining the ombudsman-led consumer redress model 📈 With proposals already advancing at national level, now is the time to get this right and ensure the #PLD becomes a platform for trust, competitiveness, and responsible AI growth. 🚀 🔗 Read the full report 👉 ecipe.org/publications/e… #ProductLiability #AIInnovation #DigitalPolicy #PLD #EUlaw #Nordics #ConsumerProtection #Competitiveness #Sanofi #EJF #AI #SingleMarket #TechPolicy #EUJustice

📢 #EJF submission on Denmark’s transposition of the Product Liability Directive The European Justice Forum (#EJF) has published its submission on Denmark’s proposed implementation of the revised EU Product Liability Directive (EU) 2024/2853. In its response to the Danish public consultation, EJF supports the Directive’s goal of strengthening consumer protection and harmonising rules across the EU. At the same time, it stresses the need to strike the right balance between: 🔹 Strong consumer protection ⚖️ 🔹 Legal certainty for businesses and innovators 📘 🔹 Proportionate liability standards 🏛️ EJF raises concerns that the Danish draft may go beyond what the Directive requires, notably through broad presumptions that risk reversing the burden of proof, expansive disclosure obligations, and the lack of safeguards regarding third-party litigation funding. 🇩🇰 Denmark already has a well-functioning consumer protection system. Implementation of the Directive should modernise the framework without encouraging unnecessary mass litigation or undermining innovation and competitiveness. 📄 The full submission is available on the EJF website: europeanjusticeforum.org/files/Contents… #EULaw #ProductLiability #CivilJustice #ConsumerProtection #Regulation #Innovation #LegalReform #EUJustice

Last week in📍Stockholm, @FredrikErixon presented a new report by the @ECIPE, "Consumer Protection in the Age of AI: Transposing the New EU Product Liability Directive in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland". 📊🌍 Commissioned by the #EJF and authored by @FredrikErixon together with @osguinea, Dyuti Pandya, Vanika Sharma and @renata_zilli, the study examines the potential impact of the revised EU Product Liability Directive (#PLD) on growth, research and development, and digital competitiveness, with a particular focus on Sweden, Denmark and Finland. 🤖📈 During the event, Fredrik Erixon presented the report’s key findings, highlighting that unclear definitions and expanded liability exposure for AI and software could discourage innovation and investment if national implementation is not carefully calibrated. ⚖️ As several Nordic countries are among the first EU Member States advancing national transposition proposals, Sweden, Denmark and Finland provide an important early look at how the new liability framework may shape the region’s innovation ecosystem. The discussion highlighted the importance of striking the right balance in implementation - ensuring strong consumer protection while safeguarding Europe’s competitiveness in emerging technologies. A timely discussion on how the revised Product Liability Directive may affect innovation, investment and digital development in the Nordic region and across Europe. 🌐 Read the full report ⬇️ ecipe.org/publications/e… #ProductLiabilityDirective #AI #Innovation #DigitalEconomy #EUPolicy #TechPolicy #Nordics #ConsumerProtection #ECIPE #EJF #EUJustice

🇪🇺⚖️ Europe is quietly shifting toward a US‑style litigation model. New rules and rising litigation funding could add €84.8bn in costs, hit innovation, and fragment the Single Market. Our latest research breaks down the risks ➡️ mailchi.mp/ecipe/2026-mon… @EUJusticeForum

🇧🇬 Bulgaria has now transposed Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions, marking another step in the 🇪🇺 EU-wide implementation of the Collective Redress framework. The reforms reshape domestic consumer protection mechanisms and provide qualified entities with a structured pathway to seek remedies on behalf of consumers in both national and cross-border settings ⚖️🌍. The new Bulgarian regime introduces: • A structured procedural framework for representative actions 🧩 • Standing for qualified entities, including in cross-border cases 🌐 • Expanded consumer remedies 🛡️ • Safeguards and oversight mechanisms governing representative actions ⚖️ As Member States continue implementation, close attention should be paid to how national systems balance: • Effective consumer protection 🛡️ • Procedural fairness ⚖️ • Proportionality and the prevention of abusive litigation ⚠️ The new rules expand the substantive and procedural instruments available to consumers by equipping courts to issue injunctions, award compensation, order repair or replacement, approve refunds, and terminate harmful practices ⚖️. The broad set of remedial powers reflects an intention to strengthen consumer rights while embedding safeguards intended to maintain procedural balance. As a result, qualified organisations may act in high-volume harm scenarios and make exposure more predictable for businesses in sectors where consumer harm can happen quickly 📊. The regime includes key safeguards such as admissibility. Courts must evaluate the admissibility of actions and assess the competence and independence of qualified organisations, while enforcement bodies obtain greater visibility over emerging risks 🔍. The aim is to establish discipline in the conduct of representative actions, although some procedural elements remain less developed compared to jurisdictions with long-established collective litigation traditions. Early cases will play a decisive role in revealing how courts interpret the new provisions and how effectively the guardrails function in practice ⚖️. From a broader EU perspective, Bulgaria’s model places the country in the middle of the representative actions spectrum 🇪🇺. It is more structured than minimalistic transpositions yet avoids the more claimant-driven architecture seen in the most assertive regimes. Even though the system widens access to consumer remedies, the measured approach adopted by the legislature illustrates a cautious balancing of innovation with procedural restraint. At this stage, Bulgaria is not expected to emerge as a primary venue for mass claims. While the remedial toolbox is extensive, the combination of moderate safeguards, the novelty of the procedures, and the limited jurisprudence to date suggests that the system will develop incrementally 📈. Its future role as a cross-border collective actions forum will depend on how assertively qualified organisations choose to operate and how consistently courts apply the new legislative foundations once the first cases begin to shape practice. 🔗 For further insights, the full analysis is available at the following link: wolftheiss.com/insights/the-t… #CollectiveRedress #ConsumerProtection #EULaw #RepresentativeActions

📣 Check out the new @ECIPE podcast featuring @FredrikErixon and @osguinea. 📑 This episode is based on research from a report commissioned by #EJF titled “Consumer Protection in the Age of AI: Transposing the New EU Product Liability Directive in 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇩🇰 Denmark, and 🇫🇮 Finland”. ⚖️ In this episode, #ECIPE discusses how Europe’s Product Liability Directive could spark US-style class actions, potentially leading to more mass litigation and fragmentation of the EU Single Market. 🎧 Listen: buff.ly/9n5HQKw 📺 Watch: buff.ly/7Q3jtIT

🗣️ “The EU’s new Product Liability Directive risks stifling digital innovation in the Nordic countries by expanding liability to AI systems and software. In transposing the PLD, Nordic policymakers have an opportunity to lead. By tailoring the Directive to their proven model, they can continue to champion both world-class innovation and robust consumer protection in the digital age.” Agata Boutanos, CEO of European Justice Forum A new report by the @ECIPE, commissioned by the European Justice Forum, examines the potential impact of the revised Product Liability Directive (#PLD) on growth, research and development, and digital competitiveness particularly in Sweden, Denmark and Finland. 📊🌍 The study, authored by @FredrikErixon, @osguinea, Dyuti Pandya, Vanika Sharma and @renata_zilli, cautions that unclear definitions and expanded liability exposure for AI and software could discourage innovation and investment if national implementation is not carefully calibrated. In response, all three countries have begun advancing transposition proposals, underscoring the urgency of adopting an innovation-friendly approach. As several Nordic states are among the first EU Member States to bring forward national transposition laws, policymakers now have an important opportunity to ensure that implementation preserves both strong consumer protection and economic dynamism. ⚖️📈 The report sets out five key policy recommendations: 1️⃣ Ensure legal clarity in relation to digital technologies and AI liability through national guidance. 2️⃣ Seek interpretative guidance from the European Commission to promote harmonised implementation across Member States. 3️⃣ Limit excessive liability exposure through proportionate transposition and the development risk defence. 4️⃣ Clarify the interaction between the PLD and existing digital and data legislation. 5️⃣ Preserve the ombudsman-led model as the primary channel for consumer redress. We would like to thank #ECIPE for their excellent and thorough work on this important report. 👏 📘 Read the full paper 👉 ecipe.org/publications/e… The #EJF is a coalition of businesses, individuals and organisations working to promote fair, balanced, transparent and efficient civil justice systems for both consumers and businesses across Europe. 🤝 #ProductLiability #AI #Innovation #SingleMarket #DigitalPolicy #EULaw #Competitiveness #EUJustice

The EU's new Product Liability Directive risks stifling digital innovation in Nordic countries by expanding liability for AI and software. Read the new paper by @FredrikErixon, @osguinea, Dyuti Pandya, Vanika Sharma, and @renata_zilli ➡️ buff.ly/h7wO9eq @EUJusticeForum

Recently in The Hague 🇳🇱, we took part in the presentation of @ECIPE's report - Collective Action in the Netherlands: Why It Matters for the Transposition of the Product Liability Directive 📘. The report explores the implications of the Netherlands’ transposition of the new EU Product Liability Directive (#PLD), with a particular focus on how it interacts with the Dutch collective action system. As one of the first EU Member States to implement the PLD - and a key hub for mass litigation - the Netherlands offers a compelling case study for policymakers and stakeholders across Europe 🇪🇺. Key features of the Dutch system, including low claim thresholds, opt-out mechanisms, flexible settlement structures, limited cost-shifting, and the relative ease of establishing litigation-backed entities, make the jurisdiction especially attractive for mass claims. These elements further reinforce the Netherlands’ reputation as a “litigation magnet,” raising important questions about legal certainty, innovation, and access to justice under the new liability framework. A timely discussion on how EU product liability reform will play out in practice, and what it means for the future of collective redress in Europe. 👏 Thank you, @FredrikErixon for the insightful presentation, @osguinea, and Vanika Sharma on putting light on the increasing risks rising from the mass litigation connected to the Product Liability transposition across the EU🇪🇺📊. The full report ⬇️ ecipe.org/publications/c… #ProductLiability #PLD #CollectiveActions #MassLitigation #EUlaw #TheHague #ECIPE #EuropeanJusticeForum #EJF #EUJustice

📢On 21 January 2026, the #EJF co-signed a joint statement 🤝 calling for proportionate and harmonised EU-level rules 🇪🇺 on professional third-party litigation funding, issued by a cross-sector coalition of business associations. For-profit litigation funding has expanded rapidly across Europe 📈. More than 300 funders now operate in the EU, often under fragmented national frameworks and limited transparency requirements. The absence of coherent EU-level safeguards ⚖️ risks distorting litigation incentives, weakening trust in justice systems and the Single Market, and increasing costs for businesses 💼, competitiveness, and innovation 💡. The statement urges the European Commission 🏛️ to place professional third-party litigation funding higher on the regulatory agenda through a dedicated Call for Evidence and the development of binding safeguards at the EU level. 🔎 Key priorities include: • Binding rules applicable to all commercially active for-profit funders; • Effective safeguards addressing conflicts of interest ⚠️, maliciously motivated funding, transparency of funding sources 🔍, and adequate capital reserves; 💰 • Full respect for proportionality and subsidiarity, as well as Member State procedural autonomy; ⚖️ • A targeted focus on professional funding arrangements where divergent national approaches generate legal uncertainty and forum shopping risks. 🌍 A coherent EU framework would strengthen legal certainty ✅, protect the integrity of judicial systems 🏛️, and support a well-functioning Single Market 📊. 🔗 Full statement available here: europeanjusticeforum.org/recent/news/jo… @EUCssrMcGrath @Europarl_EN @CY2026EU @AxelVoss3 @ZennerBXL @Eurochambres @BusinessEurope @AmChamEU @EuroCommerce @Cefic @medtecheurope @EBFeu @InsuranceEurope @IFPMA @EFPIA @LegalReform @AdvaMedUpdate

📢#EJF on Sweden’s transposition of the revised Product Liability Directive In its response to the Swedish public consultation, the European Justice Forum highlights the need to strike the right balance between: ⚖️Strong consumer protection 📘Legal certainty for businesses and innovators 🏦Proportionate liability standards #EJF warns that the current draft goes beyond EU requirements and will trigger increased mass litigation, including via third-party funding - adding business costs and uncertainty without clear benefits for consumers. A more balanced product liability framework is key to protecting individuals while safeguarding innovation and competitiveness. 📄Full submission: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/europeanjusticeforum.org/files/Contents… #EULaw #ProductLiability #CivilJustice #ConsumerProtection #Regulation #Innovation

Welcome to the official account of the European Justice Forum! We support transparent, balanced and effective civil justice and dispute resolution frameworks across Europe. Join the conversation on the future of civil justice in Europe!