Alternative Resolution of Consumer Disputes

Zaštita potrošača jedna je od važnijih politika Europske unije. Kod određivanja pravila i propisa kojima se ona regulira i koju će poštivati svi dionici tržišne utakmice, potrebno je stvoriti pravni okvir koji omogućuje jednakost te uniformnost postupanja- tu prvenstveno mislimo na potrošače jer su oni često slabija strana. Pravo zaštite potrošača u europskom pravnom krugu se kontinuirano razvija, što je razvidno i u zadnjem paketu reformi, koji uz alternativno rješavanje potrošačkih sporova, obuhvaća i mrežno rješavanje potrošačkih sporova. U Republici Hrvatskoj temeljni propis za zaštitu potrošača je Zakon za zaštitu potrošača, čija zadnja verzija je donesena 2014. godine, a usklađen je s zahtjevima koje na tom području postavlja europsko zakonodavstvo. Osim njega, slijedeći europsko zakonodavstvo koje nudi izvansudski, alternativni način rješavanja potrošačkih sporova, donesen i Zakon o alternativnom rješavanju potrošačkih sporova krajem 2016. godine. Njegov ratio je educirati potrošače o njihovim pravima te omogućiti jednostavniji, brži i ekonomičniji put ostvarivanja istih. Cilj ovog diplomskog rada je dati prikaz pravnih akta Europske unije relevantnih za područje zaštite potrošača, prije svega Direktiva i Uredbi, uzimajući u obzir njihove ciljeve te prikazati uspješnost njihove implementacije odnosno integriranja u domaće zakonodavstvo. U tu svrhu analizirat će se rješenja Zakona o alternativnom rješavanju potrošačkih sporova kojima je u hrvatsko zakonodavstvo implementirana Direktiva o alternativnom rješavanju potrošačkih sporova te su stvorene pretpostavke za primjenu Uredbe o online rješavanju potrošačkih sporova.Consumer protection is one of the most important policies in the European Union. When implementing the rules and regulations in that particular area which will be obeyed by all the stakeholders in the market competition, it se necessary to develop the legal framework which enables equal treatment and standard behaviour towards consumers because they are often the weaker party. European consumer law is developing contiunuosly, which is evident form the recently presented reform package which, beside alternative consumer dispute resolution, contains provisions on online consumer dispute resolution. In the Republic of Croatia the most relevant act for consumer protection is Consumer Protection Act, which has been adopted in 2014 and follows the requirements of the European legislature in the field of consumer protection in that matter. Beside this Act, following the European legal framework which offers alternative resolution of consumer dispute, there is Act of Alternative Resolution of Consumer Dispute, adopted by Croatian Parliament in 2016. Ratio of the Act is to educate consumers about their rights and enable an easier, quicker and cheaper way of realisation of their rights. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of legal acts of European Union, primarly of Directives and Regulations and having in mind their main aim, to explore the successfulness of their integration in domestic legislature. Hence, solutions provided in Act on Alternative Resoution of Consumer Dispute under which the Directive on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes was implemented and prerequisites for the application of the Regulation on online dispute resolution of consumer dispute were made will be analyzed