At the general meeting of Luxembourg's Confederation of Christian Trade Unionists, the organisation for consumer protection chose their mandate for the next 3 years. Nico Hoffman remains the ULC’s president.
The discussions also made it clear that bank fees remain a priority: a petition that garnered over 4500 signatures is to be discussed in parliament on 21 May. ULC demanded a general reduction of fees - and a full abolition of fees for those termed "vulnerable persons". Since another matter of concern relates to purchasing power, taxes remain a hot topic for debate.
Representatives explained that "everyone was waiting to see what the government will promise in terms of introducing another tax bracket."
Regarding class actions, Nico Hoffmann welcomes the fact that the Luxembourg's new Minister for Consumer Protection hopes to submit a draft law by the end of the year. Opposing Paulette Lenert, however, the ULC does not approve of the German model.
In the German system, a judge first takes a decision on a class action lawsuit. After that, individuals need to file a separate lawsuit in order to be guaranteed their rights. The ULC hope to avoid this model at all costs.
The EU model, on the other hand, provides a good foundation for future developments, they explained. According to Hoffman, the national framework for this model should be worked out as soon as possible.
