Protection of consumers: injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY LEGISLATION: First Commission memorandum forwarded to the Council on 4 January 1985 (COM(84) 0692 final). Supplementary communication on 7 May 1987 (COM(87) 0210 final). The Council adopted a resolution on consumer redress on 25 June 1987 (87/C 176/02, OJ C 176, 4.7.1987). With the implementation of Directive 84/450/EEC, consumer organizations in all the Member States were empowered to take legal action against misleading advertising. The same legislative approach was chosen for Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on unfair terms in consumer contracts. PREVIOUS POSITION OF EP: In its resolution of 13 March 1987 on consumer redress (OJ C 99, 13.4.1987, pp. 203-205) the EP welcomed the Commission proposals and called on the Commission to propose a directive harmonizing the laws of the Member States to provide for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, with consumer organizations given the possibility of acting in legal proceedings on behalf of the category they represent and of individual consumers. Improvement of the rights of individuals through changes to procedural law. SITUATION IN THE MEMBER STATES: See the Commission's Green Paper (COM(93) 0576 final, pp. 17 ff.)