The consumer Ombudsman for the ENGIE Group 2023 report
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The consumer Ombudsman for the ENGIE Group 2023 report
36
NEWS
average acceptance
rate for mediations
in the Club
90
The Mediation Club
in f igures (2022)
MEDIATIONS HANDLED
BY 2022
50,000
by institutional
mediators
73,000
by consumer
mediators
Signif icant
growth:
87,000 mediations in 2019
123,000
The Club of public services
Mediators (CMSP)
The CMSP is the guarantor of high professional and ethical standards,
an open forum for exchange and ref lection, rich in the diversity of its
practices, an information centre and a training centre for its members.
Jean-Pierre Hervé is Vice-Chairman in charge of the website and relations
with consumer associations. He is also secretary of this association,
registered under France’s 1901 law.
Established on April 1, 2002, it now has
31 ombudsmen from a variety of organ-
isations, plus a representative of the
Défenseur des Droits.
The members share three values: inde-
pendence, neutrality and impartiality.
They are committed to
the principles applicable
to the mediation process:
fairness, transparency,
free access, conf idential-
ity and ef f iciency.
The diversity of the areas of interven-
tion and working methods, as well as
the opportunity to exchange best prac-
tices, is a strength.
It enables us to respond to the issues spe-
cif ic to each mediation, while respecting
the provisions of the Club’s charter. The
Club has been responsible for several
advances in the field of mediation, by
promoting rules and recommendations
for quality mediation. It operates as an
inclusive entity maintaining regular
communication with public authorities
consumer associations European bodies
and mediation structures not affiliated
with the Club
EEMG actions
in 2023
(European energy
mediators group)
The annual meeting of the
EEMG was held in Paris on
October 5 and 6, 2023, hosted
by the Ombudsman for the ENGIE
Group. It was co-organised with
the Ombudsman for EDF Group.
There was a great deal to share, not only because of the
change in the EEMG’s Presidency, but also because of the
important news linked to the energy crisis of 2022 (sharing
of consumer protection practices put in place in each member
country and responses from the
mediations) and the current project
to revise the European Directive on the
Extra-judicial Resolution of Consumer
Disputes (Directive RELC).
Revision of the RELC Directive
and the framework for consumer mediation
in Europe
The aim of Directive 2013/11/EU, estab
-
lished on May 21, 2013, is to bolster
consumer trust by encouraging the uti
lization of extrajudicial and amicable
dispute resolution methods in con
sumer conf licts On October 17 2023
the European Commission put forward
its initial revision proposal
These proposals will undergo discussions
between countries and the European
Commission to ensure alignment towards
a revised directive maintaining the prin
ciple of minimal harmonisation
customer service and the national com-
plaints service respectively, as seen in
ENGIEs case do not preclude access
to mediation for the ENGIE Group for
instance
This approach ensures ongoing pressure
on the ENGIE Group to swiftly address
within 2 months customer complaints
without outsourcing them to Media
tion By retaining this focus on handling
complex cases Mediation will continue
to serve as an alternative to legal pro
ceedings embodying the essence of an
extrajudicial amicable system
In 2022, the Mediators articulated its
stance, emphasizing the importance of
maintaining the diversity of media
tion bodies across Member States which
have proven effective for consumers
Furthermore concerning the expansion
of admissibility Mediators supports the
Commissions proposal to streamline the
consumers preliminary steps with the
professional Article 13 amending Article
5 of the 2013 directive the professional
should refrain from implementing dis
proportionate rules regarding access to
mediation such as establishing numer
ous levels Levels 1 and 2 comprising
More details
on the CMSP
The EEMG
website