To improve access to justice for consumers in the European single market, an EU Directive on consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) (2013/11/EU) was introduced in May 2013, and came into force in every EU member state on 9 July 2015. 

There is a consensus in Europe that collective action mechanisms need to include correct safeguards in order to prevent abuse. This policy brief gives an overview of the main types of safeguards that are found in collective judicial procedures. It draws on extensive research into class action and collective redress laws across the world.

Four consequences need to be understood in forming policy on collective actions:

This policy brief, written by Dr Christopher Hodges and Professor Stefan Vogenauer of Oxford University, is published as costs and funding are assuming far greater importance as keys to evaluating and providing access to justice.

The findings were drawn upon by Lord Justice Jackson in his influential Costs Review which recommended moving to American style contingency fees, a recommendation that is widely expected to be implemented by the UK coalition government.

What do we want from medical technology, and how can we get it?

The complexity of the regulatory framework and the impact of a small number of high-profile failures, notably the PIP breast implant scandal, have led to widespread misunderstanding among heath-care professionals and patients alike regarding the regulation of medical devices. This policy brief addresses a series of interrelated questions on how regulatory reform in the European Medical Devices sector should proceed.