COLLECTIVE ACTION
EU proposes giving consumers more clout against corporate abuse
Brussels— The EU plans more powers for consumers to sue firms such as Volkswagen (VW) after the Dieselgate emissions scandal showed the limits of consumer protection authorities to curb corporate cheating. Wednesday’s proposal by the EU executive would allow some groups to launch collective action and give consumer protection authorities higher sanctions for rule breakers. Amid frustration in Brussels with rule-flouting by the powerful technology and automotive industries, fines will increase to as much as 4% of annual turnover for companies deemed to have trampled on the rights of a large group of consumers. "Consumer authorities will finally get teeth to punish the cheaters," Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said. "It cannot be cheap to cheat." Along with a separate plan to improve transparency over how science shapes policy, officials couched the moves as the EU becoming more responsive to citizens’ worries — such as the potential cancer risk of glyphosate, which is used in Mons...
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