Online expert talk on the cooperation within the framework of the reform of civil and civil procedural consumer protection and out-of-court dispute resolution

Details

Published: May 5, 2022

An online expert talk on the reform of Jordanian consumer protection guidelines, which had been planned since Autumn 2021, was held on 30 March 2022, in cooperation with the Jordanian Directorate for Consumer Protection, and focused mainly on legal consumer protection.

The Jordanian Directorate for Consumer Protection has been working on reforming the legal framework since it was established in 2017. The cooperation with the IRZ was implemented in late 2020. In specific terms, the event was about improving the quality of the existing consumer protection directives. The Jordanian team had already reported an urgent need for consultation on this issue in 2021. The event was held in an online format owing to the pandemic.

For the Jordanian contingent, Mr. Wael Mouhadin, Head of the Directorate for Consumer Protection, presented the current status of the legal framework in consumer protection and in particular addressed the existing guidelines and processes and the challenges that arise.

On behalf of the IRZ, Experts Dr Arnd Weishaupt, judge at the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf and Dr Martin Vomhof, presiding judge at the Regional Court in Düsseldorf, took part in the discussion. At the talks, the parties discussed the draft consumer protection guidelines revised by the Jordanian partner and presented their suggestions and recommendations. These will be documented in a written report and made available to the Jordanian partner in due course.

The German experts addressed the following aspects during the discussion: the establishment of expert bodies, options for the legal application, criminalisation of infringements of civil law, registration in a register of violations, cost issues, dispute resolution, proceedings before consumer arbitration boards, time-sharing, information obligations, right of withdrawal, sale of used goods.

The lively discussion and exchange between all the participants demonstrated that the topic was of great interest to the Jordanian participants.

The Jordanian team will review the recommendations of the German experts after the event and will apply them as required. Another expert talk around the legal issues of e-commerce is planned for May 2022.