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Enforcement and Effectiveness of Consumer Law in the Czech Republic

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Enforcement and Effectiveness of Consumer Law

Part of the book series: Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law ((GSCL,volume 27))

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Abstract

Czech consumer law is largely influenced by EU law and therefore provides a relatively high level of consumer protection. Recently, we can see significant changes mainly in procedural law, or more precisely the law dealing with enforcement mechanisms for consumer disputes, especially out-of-court enforcement mechanisms. Judicial resolution of consumer disputes which was the main enforcement mechanism of consumer rights for many years is not effective and seems to be inappropriate with respect to the value of consumer disputes. Therefore, recent legislative changes emphasize proceedings conducted before specialized administrative agencies and ADR mechanisms. On the other hand, consumer disputes have been lately excluded from arbitration.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Compare the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Priority spotřebitelské politiky 2015–2020 (Priorities of Consumer Policy 2015–2020), www.mpo.cz/dokument155395.html (accessed 15 April 2016).

  2. 2.

    Compare Selucká (2008), p. 1, with reference to Ottův slovník naučný (Otto’s Encyclopedia), 1930–1943, entry consumer policy.

  3. 3.

    The list of implemented directives is provided in section 3015 CC.

  4. 4.

    Compare Tichý (2014), p. 109.

  5. 5.

    Vítová (2014), p. 46 f.; Hulmák (2014), p. 395.

  6. 6.

    See in detail Vítová (2014), pp. 105–172, with further references.

  7. 7.

    Directive 2008/122/EC of 14 January 2009 on the protection of consumers in respect of certain aspects of timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and exchange.

  8. 8.

    Those specific regulations, however, do not apply exclusively to consumers.

  9. 9.

    Hulmák (2014), p. 397.

  10. 10.

    See in particular the Constitutional Court decisions ÚS II. ÚS 3/06 and ÚS I. ÚS 342/09 where the Constitutional Court refers to European directives and the case law of the CJEU.

  11. 11.

    The Supreme Court decision 28 Cdo 171/2008.

  12. 12.

    Vítová (2014), p. 47. This rule has become a part of the CC since recodification, see section 1812(1).

  13. 13.

    The Supreme Court decision 23 Cdo 1201/2009.

  14. 14.

    More in Selucká (2013), p. 13 with further references.

  15. 15.

    Act No 155/2010 Sb.

  16. 16.

    The Constitutional Court decision I ÚS 1930/11.

  17. 17.

    The Czech Telecommunications Office, I živnostník může uzavřít účastnickou smlouvu jako spotřeitel (Even a trader may conclude a participation agreement as a consumer) (14 May 2015). www.itpoint.cz/ctu/clanky/?i=zivnostnik-ucastnicka-smlouva-jako-spotrebitel-10209 (accessed 17 March 2016).

  18. 18.

    Heidenhain (2014), p. 134.

  19. 19.

    Heidenhain (2014), p. 135.

  20. 20.

    Available at ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_evidence/consumer_scoreboards/11_edition/docs/ccs2015scoreboard_en.pdf. Accessed 9 May 2016.

  21. 21.

    Tichý (2014), p. 112.

  22. 22.

    See Ochrana spotřebitele v ČR—revize právní úpravy (Consumer Protection in the CR—a Legislative Review), document submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on 22 October 2015.

  23. 23.

    Ibid.

  24. 24.

    Cited from the presentation of Milan Hulmák, leading expert in consumer law, at the mentioned session of the Board.

  25. 25.

    Constitutional Act No 2/1993 Sb., the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

  26. 26.

    Act No 6/2002 Sb., on Courts and Judges.

  27. 27.

    Sections 159a and 83(2) CPC.

  28. 28.

    Section 155(4) CPC.

  29. 29.

    Section 83(2)(b) CPC.

  30. 30.

    Section 238(1)(c) CPC.

  31. 31.

    Section 238(1)(c) CPC.

  32. 32.

    Act No 549/1991 Sb., on Court Fees (hereinafter the Court Fees Act).

  33. 33.

    Explanatory memorandum to Act No 378/2015 Sb., regarding part dealing with ADR, ch 1.2.5.

  34. 34.

    Section 138 CPC.

  35. 35.

    Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (recast) (Brussels I recast) and Regulation Rome I.

  36. 36.

    Act No 91/2012 Sb., on Private International Law (hereinafter the PIL Act).

  37. 37.

    Regulation Rome I, Preamble 25 and Article 6 and section 87(2) PIL Act.

  38. 38.

    Regulation Brussels I recast, Articles 17–19 and section 86(1) PIL Act.

  39. 39.

    Act No 127/2005 Sb., on Electronic Communications and on the Amendments to the Other Acts (hereinafter the Electronic Communications Act).

  40. 40.

    Section 3(1) Electronic Communications Act. See more about the CTO on www.ctu.eu/.

  41. 41.

    Section 127(1) Electronic Communications Act.

  42. 42.

    Section 129(1) Electronic Communications Act. The Electronic Communications Act does not state that the other contracting party or the user of services must be a consumer.

  43. 43.

    Act No 458/2000 Sb., on the Conditions of Business and State Administration in Energy Industries and Changes to Certain Laws (hereinafter the Energy Act).

  44. 44.

    See more on www.eru.cz/en/.

  45. 45.

    Particularly with Directive 97/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 on cross-border credit transfers (repealed by the directive 2007/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council), Commission Recommendation 98/257/EC of 30 March 1998 on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, Commission Recommendation 2001/310/EC of 4 April 2001 on the principles for out-of-court bodies involved in the consensual resolution of consumer disputes, and Regulation (EC) No. 2560/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001 on cross-border payments in euro.

  46. 46.

    The Ministry of Industry and Trade, Directory of selected consumer organisations [online], Division 42100, www.mpo.cz/dokument5724.html (accessed 11 April 2017).

  47. 47.

    See www.ekonom.ihned.cz/c1-63557480-spor-o-bankovni-poplatky-muze-skoncit-exekucemi.

  48. 48.

    M. Zeman, Hromadné žaloby v současném českém právu. (Class actions in contemporary Czech law), http://www.epravo.cz/top/clanky/hromadne-zaloby-v-soucasnem-ceskem-pravu-95906.html.

  49. 49.

    For more information, see e.g. www.hromadnezaloby.cz/ ran by Český spotřebitel s.r.o.

  50. 50.

    See on Consumers’ organisations for requirements imposed on consumes’ organisations that want to file an action in this matter.

  51. 51.

    Compare Balarin and Tichý (2013), p. 17; Bělohlávek (2016), p. 467.

  52. 52.

    Injunctions for protection of consumer rights are regulated by Directive 2009/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on injunctions for the protection of consumers’ interests.

  53. 53.

    Winterová (2008), p. 21.

  54. 54.

    Ibid.

  55. 55.

    This matter was broadly discussed within the EU; see the Green Paper on Consumer Collective Redress (2008). Compare T. Palla, Potřeba hromadných žalob ve spotřebitelských sporech (Necessity of class actions in consumer disputes), www.epravo.cz/top/clanky/potreba-hromadnych-zalob-ve-spotrebitelskych-sporech-56464.html.

  56. 56.

    Compare detailed explanation in Tichý et al. (2014), p. 371 ff.

  57. 57.

    Compare, e.g., Selucká (2013), p. 7.

  58. 58.

    Skalská (2014), p. 68.

  59. 59.

    Compare e.g. Sik-Simon (2014), p. 218 ff.

  60. 60.

    Act No 40/2009 Sb., the Criminal Code.

  61. 61.

    Compare Ondřej (2013), p. 131 ff., with further references and the Supreme Court decision 21 Cdo1484/2004.

  62. 62.

    Compare Kanda and Matejka (2005), p. 162.

  63. 63.

    Act No 216/1994 Sb., on Arbitration (hereinafter the Arbitration Act).

  64. 64.

    The Constitutional Court decision IV ÚS 2157/08.

  65. 65.

    See Raban (2010), p. 16.

  66. 66.

    Bělohlávek (2012), pp. 180–181.

  67. 67.

    Legal regulation of unfair contractual terms in Czech law is based on Directive 2011/83/EU of the European parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and earlier Council Directive 93/13/EEC.

  68. 68.

    The same rule for international arbitration is included in section 119 PIL Act.

  69. 69.

    Section 25(2) Arbitration Act.

  70. 70.

    Bělohlávek (2012), p. 182.

  71. 71.

    T. Horáček, Nové aspekty ochrany spotřebitele (New aspects of consumer protection), 2016, www.pravniprostor.cz/clanky/obcanske-pravo/nove-aspekty-ochrany-spotrebitele.

  72. 72.

    See Article V(2)(a) of the New York Convention.

  73. 73.

    Act No 202/2012 Sb., on mediation (hereinafter the Mediation Act).

  74. 74.

    Section 13 Mediation Act. In case of an attorney, supervision is exercised by the Czech Bar Association.

  75. 75.

    Section 15(1) Mediation Act.

  76. 76.

    A. Vejvodová, Místo soudu k ČOI. (Instead to court to COI), http://pravniradce.ihned.cz/c1-65143620-misto-soudu-k-coi-startuje-novy-zpusob-reseni-spotrebitelskych-sporu.

  77. 77.

    Horáček (2016).

  78. 78.

    Section 20i(1) CPA.

  79. 79.

    Section 14 CPA.

  80. 80.

    Section 20s(1) CPA.

  81. 81.

    R. Sik-Simon, Mimosoudní vyrovnání—levnější a rychlejší řešení spotřebitelských sporů. (Out-of-court settlement—cheaper and faster resolution of consumer disputes), www.epravo.cz/top/clanky/mimosoudni-vyrovnani-levnejsi-a-rychlejsi-reseni-spotrebitelskych-sporu-96427.html.

  82. 82.

    Horáček (2016).

  83. 83.

    Regulation No 524/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on online dispute resolution for consumer disputes.

  84. 84.

    See webgate.ec.europa.eu/odr/main/index.cfm?event=main.home.chooseLanguage.

  85. 85.

    For more information, see ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_evidence/consumer_scoreboards/11_edition/docs/ccs2015scoreboard_en.pdf, 20.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Commercial Law, Faculty of Law, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Monika Pauknerová & Helena Skalská

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  1. Monika Pauknerová
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  2. Helena Skalská
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Correspondence to Monika Pauknerová .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Law, Badia Fiesolana, European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole, Italy

    Hans-W. Micklitz

  2. Faculty of Law, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Geneviève Saumier

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Pauknerová, M., Skalská, H. (2018). Enforcement and Effectiveness of Consumer Law in the Czech Republic. In: Micklitz, HW., Saumier, G. (eds) Enforcement and Effectiveness of Consumer Law. Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78431-1_9

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