Title II: LEGAL ACTION BY CONSUMER DEFENCE ASSOCIATIONS

Consumers who, on the basis of the provisions of article L. 622-1, intending to claim compensation for losses caused by the same professional and having a common origin may give to an approved national consumer association, pursuant to article L. 811-1, the power to act on their behalf before the civil courts, under the conditions set out in this chapter.

The power of attorney shall be in writing. It shall expressly state its purpose and confer on the approved national consumer association the power to carry out all procedural acts on behalf of the consumer.

For the application of article L. 622-1, jurisdiction by reason of the amount of the claim and the rate of jurisdiction at last instance are determined, for all claims, by the highest of them.

Summonses and notifications intended for the consumer for the conduct of the proceedings shall be addressed to the approved national consumer association acting on his behalf.

If the mandate is revoked, the party who had given it may continue the proceedings initiated as if he had brought them directly.The party who revokes his mandate must immediately notify the judge and the opposing party.

The approved national consumer organisation shall inform its principals, by all appropriate means, of the court before which the case is brought and, where appropriate, that before which it has been referred, the date of the hearing and the date on which judgment is to be given.At the request of one of its principals, the approved national consumer organisation shall deliver, at the latter’s expense, a copy of the document…

In the event of the dissolution of the approved national consumer association, a change of corporate purpose or withdrawal of approval, consumers may give a mandate to another approved national consumer association to continue the proceedings.

The document initiating proceedings shall contain, on pain of nullity, in addition to the particulars required by law, the name of the approved national association, its registered office, the body which legally represents it and the surname, forenames and address of each of the consumers on whose behalf it is acting. Copy of the approval order issued pursuant to the provisions of article R. 811-2 is attached to the document…

The notice of appeal and the statement of appeal shall contain, on pain of nullity, in addition to the particulars required by law, the name of the approved national association, its registered office, the body which legally represents it and the identity of the consumers on whose behalf it is acting.

The decision is notified to the approved national consumer association, which informs its constituents without delay and in any event within the time limits for appeals. The time limit for exercising an appeal starts from the notification to the association.