On Thursday, September 30, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) is organising a conference entitled ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution: An Effective Means of Redress’.  The conference is co-funded by the European Union’s Consumer Programme (2014-2020). The conference will focus on how business-to-consumer disputes concerning contractual obligations can be resolved through the ADR redress mechanism.

From time to time, consumers encounter problems with the products or services they purchase. While most of these problems are resolved amicably directly with the seller, some disputes are more difficult to settle. In such situations, consumers would need to seek third-party assistance to try and obtain a suitable remedy. One possible way of obtaining this assistance is through the ADR redress mechanism which brings the conflicting parties together without the need to take the case to court.

This dispute resolution tool is available to all consumers in each EU country where there are registered ADR entities. With regard to purchases made online, the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform facilitates the resolution of online disputes. The ADR conference will explain this platform, and how it is used to resolve cross-border online consumer claims. The conference will review how the ADR redress mechanism helps consumers resolve disputes in practice and will also include presentations from local sector-specific ADR entities to showcase how the ADR functions in specific industries.

“Some disputes are more difficult to settle. In such situations, consumers would need to seek third-party assistance to try and obtain a suitable remedy”- Odette Vella

The half-day conference will be held at the InterContinental Malta in St Julian’s and it will be addressed by the Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Public Cleansing Deo Debattista and other distinguished speakers.

Attendance is free of charge and registration can be done online by visiting the MCCAA website below or by calling 2395 2000. Early registration is advisable as seats are limited. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

www.mccaa.org.mt

odette.vella@mccaa.org.mt

Odette Vella, Director, Information and Research Directorate, MCCAA.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.