📢 Save the Date — Annual EU Civil Justice Conference 8 December 2026 | Sofitel Brussels The EU's civil justice and liability landscape is at a crossroads! Join policymakers, industry representatives, and legal practitioners for a full-day conference examining: Third-Party Litigation Funding (TPLF) The Product Liability Directive (PLD) ADR/Ombudsman mechanisms CSDDD & CSRD Places are limited; register now to secure your spot! 🔗 Register now: forms.gle/hEN51ws98wiU2ZEB9 🌐 Learn more: europeanjusticeforum.org/eve… #CivilJustice #ProductLiability #CSDDD #Litigation #EUPolicy #TPLF #ADR #RAD #EUJustice

The UK’s liability claims experience holds a lesson for the EU. @SwissRe Institute’s new analysis finds that non-economic factors added about 5–6 percentage points to UK liability claims growth in 2024. Key takeaways: This is the fifth consecutive year of elevated liability excess inflation. Non-economic factors account for around half of claims growth since 2020, partly driven by an environment conducive to litigation funding and collective redress. ⏩ Reversing PACCAR could revive litigation funding, and opt-out consumer class actions or a product liability review could add further pressure. ⏩ Swiss Re sees striking parallels with the EU’s RAD and PLD, and expects them to contribute to higher claims severity. EJF supports access to justice and a balanced system. Funding transparency, limits on funder control, and proportionality can help deliver both. Full Report ⬇️ swissre.com/institute/resear… #CivilJustice #LitigationFunding #CollectiveRedress #ProductLiability #EUPolicy

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 ⚖️🇪🇺 Inaugural Reception · Brussels · 7 December 2026 We are delighted to announce the launch of Women Leaders in Civil Justice, the first initiative of its kind in Europe 🌍. The network brings together women leaders from the European institutions, national administrations, the judiciary, business, legal practice, academia and leading think tanks. Effective, accessible and efficient civil justice systems are essential for the rule of law, economic growth, consumer confidence and public trust. Women Leaders in Civil Justice gives the female representatives who shape these systems a dedicated space for dialogue, collaboration and exchange 💬. We are honoured that Dr @@Mary_Harney, former Tánaiste of Ireland and one of the country’s most influential modern political leaders, has agreed to serve as the network’s Honorary Patron. 🧭 How does the network work? Fifteen Leaders will form the Council of the Network for 2027. They will set its agenda and lead its activities. A wider circle of senior women from the civil justice community will be invited to join the network and attend the Inaugural Reception. Through regular discussions, policy exchanges and high-level events, members will explore how civil justice can be strengthened at the EU and national levels: 🔓 Improve access to justice by identifying practical, evidence-based approaches that open civil justice to everyone. 🥂 Join us on 7 December The members of the Council will be announced at the Inaugural Reception in Brussels on 7 December 2026. We look forward to welcoming the women leading Europe’s civil justice community as we launch this network together. More Info ⬇️ europeanjusticeforum.org/307…

📢 European Justice Forum Presents Its Recommendations for PLD Transposition with a special focus on Germany European Justice Forum has published EJF Recommendations for PLD Transpositions ([EU] 2024/2853), based in particular on observations of the German legislative procedure. As discussions on the PLD's implementation have demonstrated, Member States retain significant discretion in a number of key areas of transposition. At the same time, the new regime is expected to increase compliance costs, litigation risks and regulatory burdens for businesses, especially for innovative companies.🧭 In light of this, EJF recommends that Member States:  (1) Regulate third-party funding of collective litigation (2) Reinforce cross-border cooperation between market surveillance authorities (3) Ensure consistency with the EU’s Product Safety Regulation (4) Consider contradictory or opaque rules in product safety regulations as non-binding for purposes of Article 10 in PLD (5) Limit PLD’s sovereignty overreach into national rules of civil procedure (6) Ensure that constant monitoring of product use as required by PLD must be subject to explicit legal provisions that include surveillance of users specifically for that product or with their consent (7) Take steps to limit the increased workload, complexity and costs for defendant companies due to PLD’s far-reaching new disclosure provisions (8) Transposition of the disclosure provisions will only be compliant with the German Constitution if a new in-camera procedure is introduced at the same time (9) FAQs should be drafted taking care of the previous concerns (1) to (8) to ensure more consistent implementation and application by national courts As Member States progress the transposition process, we believe a balanced, consistent implementation of the PLD will strengthen consumer protection while safeguarding legal certainty, innovation, and access to justice across Europe. Read the full paper ⬇️ europeanjusticeforum.org/ejf… #ProductLiability #PLD #EULaw #Transposition #CivilJustice

𝐏𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 With twelve weeks to go until the implementation deadline, the state of play across the EU on the revised Product Liability Directive is coming into sharper focus and it illustrates just how demanding this exercise is for the Member States. To date, only three Member States (Hungary, Croatia and Lithuania) have completed implementation. A further twelve have draft legislation in progress, several tracking towards adoption this autumn. Seven others have taken preliminary steps but have yet to publish a text, and five have shown no public movement to date. The PLD is a maximum-harmonisation instrument yet it leaves certain matters, such as the development risk defence and inclusion of non-material damages, to national discretion. Early drafts already show that there are important variations in how that discretion is being exercised, alongside differing approaches to disclosure obligations that, in several jurisdictions, go well beyond current procedural rules. In at least one area, the automatic thresholds for presuming defect and/or causation, some national proposals appear to depart from the wording in the Directive. The interpretation of these provisions and others where the wording is vague or subjective require clarification by the European Commission. None of this is unusual for a directive of this scope, following four decades without comparable reform yet it does underline why so many governments are approaching transposition methodically rather than rushing to the deadline because getting the details right matters more than getting there first. As the countdown continues, we believe guidance from the European Commission is key to ensure coherent interpretation of PLD across the EU, including by courts after January 2027, and to protect the Single Market. With four months remaining, where do you see the greatest need for additional clarity: safeguards for the defence, evidence disclosures or the presumptions in Article 10? 🗨️ Tell us ⬇️ #ProductLiability #PLD #EULaw #SingleMarket #Transposition2026 #EUJustice #AccesstoJustice

This week, the European Justice Forum was in Strasbourg for the European Parliament plenary session, engaging directly with policymakers and stakeholders shaping the EU's agenda. A key moment of the week was President Ursula von der Leyen's 2026 State of the Union Address. Our team attended and listened closely, reflecting on the priorities she outlined alongside those set out in the European Commission's report, "From Promise to Progress: Second Year in Office – Von der Leyen Commission 2024-2029." The Address reflected on the core challenges facing Europe today: competitiveness, innovation, security, and resilience which are complex, interconnected priorities and getting the policy response right requires sustained dialogue between institutions, civil society, busines. As the European Commission advances its work on these priorities, EJF remains committed to contributing our expertise on access to justice areas that are fundamental to a fair, competitive, and resilient Europe. We look forward to continuing the dialogue in the months ahead. State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen ⬇️ ec.europa.eu/commission/pres… From promise to progress: second year in office ⬇️ commission.europa.eu/documen… #StateOfTheUnion #SOTEU2026 #EUPolicy #EuropeanCommission #EuropeanParliament #Strasbourg #CivilJustice #AccessToJustice #EuropeanJusticeForum

🚨 Happening today in London! EJF CEO Agata Boutanos joins @AGinsight for a breakfast seminar, Product Liability Rewritten: The EU's New Risk Landscape. As the revised EU Product Liability Directive reshapes exposure and claims strategy for manufacturers, importers, distributors and technology providers alike, from AI-enabled products to medical devices and connected vehicles, this is exactly the kind of practical conversation EJF members need ahead of the December 2026 implementation deadline. Great to see Agata representing the civil justice perspective in the room. 📍 London, UK | 🗓️ Today, 09:00–13:00 #ProductLiability #EULaw #PLD #RiskManagement #Litigation #EUJustice #EUCivilJustice

This week, the European Justice Forum is in Brussels for the 20th anniversary edition of #IPSW2026, "Product safety in motion," organised by @EU_Commission. Product safety and product liability are two sides of the same coin, and EJF has spent the past year deeply engaged in the Product Liability Directive. The day opened with a high-level address from Commissioner @EUCssrMcGrath, who stressed that as products, markets and technologies keep evolving, effective consumer protection depends on regulators, industry and civil society working together, rather than in silos. Agata Boutanos and Seyide Direk are on the ground, connecting with regulators, businesses, and fellow stakeholders on the challenges shaping this space: digitalisation, e-commerce, AI, market surveillance. This year's IPSW themes map directly onto issues we track every day: ➡️ Digitalisation and AI: as software and connected products fall within the scope of product liability for the first time, questions of causation and defectiveness become far harder to prove or defend against. ➡️ E-commerce: the rise of online marketplaces has raised real questions about who is liable when a product bought from a third-country seller causes harm, a gap the new PLD tries to close. ➡️ Market surveillance and child safety: effective enforcement upstream is what keeps liability claims from becoming the only line of defence for consumers downstream. Robust product safety and a balanced, workable liability framework must go hand in hand. Rules that are too broad expose businesses to disproportionate risk and litigation costs that ultimately raise prices for consumers. Getting that balance right is at the core of what we do. #ProductSafetyEU #ProductSafety #IPSW #Justice #EUJustice #EUJusticeForum #PLD #ProductLiability #EUPLD

Ireland officially took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July 2026, holding the role through the end of the year. As the @Ireland2026eu Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 gets underway, we're glad to have contributed early input on its priorities. 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 🔗 Our contribution is available here: europeanjusticeforum.org/ejf… 📄 Read the Summary Thematic Report: wp-dev.eujusticeforum.org/wp… #EU2026 #IrishPresidency #Justice #LitigationFunding #AccessToJustice #EUJustice

📫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐉𝐅’𝐬 𝐄𝐔 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭! Keep up with the latest developments in civil justice environment. Each edition brings together: 🗓️ Past and upcoming events 🎙️ Videos & podcasts 📖 Recommended readings 🔴 EJF Policy Corner 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧. 📩 Want to receive future editions straight to your inbox? Subscribe here ⤵️ lnkd.in/drAVpAPT #EU #EUJustice #PublicPolicy #CivilJustice #Newsletter #EJF #EUJusticeForum

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 ☀️🎙️: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 (𝐏𝐋𝐃) Agata Boutanos speaks with Elizabeth-Anne Larsen about the PLD, how it reshapes product liability, what the new rules are, and the potential regulatory and litigation risks. ⚖️📚 🎧 Join us and listen to the practical guidelines in the new series of podcasts by EJF: 🔗 lnkd.in/ek4wQ33u A big thank you to our member @CMS_Law_Tax for partnering with us on the series! 🤝 #PLD #ProductLiability #EUPLD #EULaw #EUJusticeForum

Fresh figures from @LegalReform put concrete numbers behind what we've long been warning about: European tort costs are climbing quicker than GDP or inflation, propelled by widening collective redress routes and a swelling third-party litigation funding market (over 300 funders now operating across the EU). The UK is a cautionary preview. Opt-out class actions paired with unchecked TPLF have made it the fastest-accelerating tort system in the study, on course to rival the US by 2029–2030. With Member States still transposing the Product Liability Directive that will drive further increases in US-style mass litigation, policymakers should act now to ensure that third-party litigation funding is channelled towards obtaining appropriate redress for EU consumers in genuine cases of harm and not for the benefit of hedge funds based in tax havens outside the EU. 📊 Read the full findings: instituteforlegalreform.com/…

🌍 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐏𝐋𝐅 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 ⚖️ Directive (EU) 2020/1828 allows designated 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 to bring 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬‑𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 on behalf of consumers in other Member States. 📋 The European Commission currently recognises 81 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬‑𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, with the official list serving as proof of legal standing before national courts. 💼 At the same time, the broader dispute resolution ecosystem is evolving. 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 300 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔, and cross‑border collective actions are among the proceedings where 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝‑𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐓𝐏𝐋𝐅) is increasingly relevant due to high costs, procedural complexity, and multi‑jurisdictional risk. ⚠️ The close relationship between the rise in cross‑border collective actions in Europe and TPLF continues to raise pressing questions around the lack of 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 and the need for 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 to protect consumers, businesses and the EU's economic security from US-style mass litigation for profit. The unintended consequences of the unregulated growth of TPLF should be a central topic in the EU's policy discussions. 🔗 See the full list of entities ⤵️ lnkd.in/dxyHzGMv #EUJusticeForum #EUJustice #TPLF #Crossborder

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗟𝗗 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝟮𝟳 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 EJF has joined a coalition of organisations (the @LegalReform, @medtecheurope, @Cefic, @CyfrowaPolska, @DanskIndustri, Business and Science Poland and @EFPIA calling on the @EU_Commission to issue Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to guide implementation of the revised Product Liability Directive (PLD) ahead of its January 2027 application deadline. Why it matters: 𝗩𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀 Key concepts like "excessive difficulties" and "technical or scientific complexity" are already being defined differently across Member States, from Sweden to France to the Netherlands. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 Even products that fully comply with EU safety rules could be presumed defective under some national drafts, raising litigation and insurance costs for businesses. 𝗔 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Without EU-level guidance, courts across 27 Member States risk reaching inconsistent rulings, fuelling forum shopping and fragmenting the single market. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 Commission FAQs would give national judges consistent, workable standards, supporting the PLD's own goal of a high, uniform level of consumer protection, without undermining it through legal uncertainty. Read the full declaration and annex for detailed examples of the provisions that need clarifying ⤵️ 🔗europeanjusticeforum.org/rec… #ProductLiability #PLD #EUJustice #CivilJustice #Brussels

📬 The latest edition of EJF's EU Newsletter is waiting for you! Stay up to date with the latest developments in civil justice and EU policy. Each edition brings together: 📅 Key upcoming events 🔴 EJF Policy Corner 🇪🇺 Key EU policy and legislative updates 📖 Recommended reading 🎙️ Videos and podcasts 📝 Open consultations Clear. Concise. Impact-driven. 📩 Subscribe to receive future editions directly in your inbox: europeanjusticeforum.org/mem… #EU #EUJustice #PublicPolicy #CivilJustice #Newsletter #EJF #EUJusticeForum

𝐄𝐉𝐅 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐌𝐒 𝐄𝐔 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 We are pleased to share the complete EU Product Liability Directive (PLD) Training Series Featuring: 🔹 Agata Boutanos – Chief Executive Officer, European Justice Forum 🔹 Elizabeth-Anne Larsen – Product Liability Specialist In this series, we explore: ▪️ how the revised PLD reshapes product liability, including for software and AI ▪️ what the new rules mean for companies operating in the EU ▪️ regulatory and litigation risks businesses should be preparing for now Designed for legal, compliance, risk and business professionals, the series provides practical guidance and expert insights to help organisations navigate the new EU product liability landscape. 🎥 Watch the complete training series here ➡️ youtube.com/playlist?list=PL… #ProductLiabilityDirective #EUPLD #NewPLD #ProductLiability #ClassActions #GroupLitigation #EUJustice #EuropeanJusticeForum

📍A great day of engaging discussions, passionate addresses and valuable exchanges at the @faircivjustice Annual Conference 2026. The European Justice Forum was proud to contribute to the programme with Panel 5: "𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺", chaired by our CEO, Agata Boutanos and expert addresses by Simon Neill, EJF Board Chair (@JNJNews), Kaarli Harry Eichhorn (@JonesDay) and Ainslie Cranwell (@VolvoGroup) on the evolving EU product liability landscape. 🙏 A big thank you to Fair Civil Justice for organising such a timely and engaging conference and to everyone who joined the discussions. 🎥 Watch the teaser below and stay tuned for more highlights ⤵️ youtube.com/watch?v=U-_ZLQdp… #CivilJustice #ProductLiability #MassLitigation #ClassActions #LitigationFunding #LegalRisk #EUJusticeForum