Brussels /Aachen, 2024-12-26 — WhizzBang, the European network dedicated to consumer and data protection for expatriates, expresses deep concern over Germany’s persistent delays in transposing EU consumer protection directives into national law. These delays not only contravene EU legal obligations but also undermine the rights of consumers and expatriates residing in Germany.
A recent example is Germany’s failure to fully transpose the Representative Actions Directive (Directive (EU) 2020/1828), which aims to empower qualified entities to seek redress on behalf of consumers. The transposition deadline expired on 25 December 2022 (over two years ago by now), yet Germany has not fully implemented the necessary measures, prompting the European Commission to initiate infringement procedures.
Additionally, Germany has been slow to implement the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) (Directive (EU) 2022/2464), which introduces new rules on sustainability reporting for companies. The transposition deadline expired on 6 July 2024, and Germany is among the Member States that have not yet communicated full transposition into national law.
These delays have tangible consequences for consumers, including expatriates, who rely on robust legal frameworks for protection. The lack of timely implementation hampers the enforcement of consumer rights and creates legal uncertainties, undermining confidence in the single market.
Natália Oráviková, Chair of WhizzBang Meuse-Rhine, stated, “Germany’s repeated delays in implementing EU consumer protection directives are totally unacceptable. Such gross negligence directly impacts consumers and expatriates who depend on uniform standards and protections across the EU.”
Iwona Szczeblewski, Chair of WhizzBang AISBL in Brussels, adds: “We have already filed a complaint about Germany with the European Commission on this issue and aim to broaden the scope of our complaint soon.”
Germany has repeatedly failed to transpose EU regulation both in time and in scope. As for the much delayed transposition of the Representative Actions Directive, Germany has not implemented neither system nor mechanism for financing representative actions, as was required by directive. “We have noticed that it has become a habit in German politics to ignore EU regulations or even to act contrary to them altogether. We cannot allow this to become a national tradition”, says Szczblewski.
WhizzBang once more calls on the German government to prioritize the timely and complete transposition of EU consumer protection directives into national law. Ensuring adherence to EU legislation is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the single market and upholding the rights of all EU citizens, particularly those living and working across borders.
