English

Goals

In a context of a globalized economy, where consumption becomes a driving force for change, it is essential to work towards ensuring relationships between citizens and businesses that are comfortable, fair, and equitable — key elements in an advanced society that takes into account the needs of all its people.

It is within this framework that consumer arbitration reflects a public-private collaboration, necessary to promote a social transformation that enables us to face future challenges and helps the business sector adapt to the personalized needs of its customers.

Arbitration is an effective, agile, impartial, and free extrajudicial tool, beneficial to all parties and close to them. It takes into account the context of the relationship between the company and the consumer involved. Moreover, it highlights the willingness of companies to improve and strengthen their customer service, thereby contributing to a more balanced market among its various stakeholders — ultimately resulting in an increased quality of life for the public.

These Conferences aim to reflect and debate on the need to take a step forward in guaranteeing a system of mandatory arbitration, especially in those sectors that provide basic, essential services for everyday life — which are often the ones with the highest levels of conflict.

For this reason, the focus will be placed on the following aspects:

Consumer arbitration as a genuine “justice of proximity.”
The role of arbitration in a context where courts of justice are increasingly overwhelmed with consumer claims against certain sectors.
The experience of consumer arbitration boards as proof of the success of arbitration as a dispute resolution system.
The current EU regulatory framework for consumer dispute resolution.
Consumer satisfaction and the improvement of customer service.

Program

Thursday, 20 November

9 - 9:30 a.m. Accreditations

9:30 - 9:40 a.m. Opening

9:40 - 10:10 a.m. Inaugural Conference

Speaker: Daniel Innerarity (Ikerbasque Research Professor, UPV/EHU & Head of Globernance, Institute for Democratic Governance)

10:10 - 10:45 a.m. Coffee break

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Round Table: “Is judicial protection truly effective for consumers?”

Moderator: Isidor Garcia (Catalan Agency of Consumer Affairs)

Participants:

Mariló Gramunt Fombuena, President of the Consumer Arbitration Board of Catalonia.

Francisco Javier Orduña Moreno, Professor of Civil Law and former Supreme Court Magistrate.

Paloma Pelegrín, Consumer Prosecutor at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Barcelona.

Pascual Ortuño, jurist and writer.

12:15 - 12:25 p.m. Open Floor for Questions

12:25 - 13:25 p.m. Round Table “Consumer dispute resolution in Europe: present and future”

Moderator: Rosa Gimeno (Catalan Agency of Consumer Affairs)

Participants:

Laura Ballarín Cereza, Member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.

Fernando Viana, Director of CIAB – Consumer Arbitration Tribunal of Braga, Portugal.

Aida Gasiunaite-Stavginskiene, Deputy Director of State Consumer Rights Protection Authority of Lithuania.

Ilaria Amelia Caggiano, Full Professor in Private Law at Suor Orsola Benincasa University in Naples, Italy.

13:25 - 13:35 p.m. Open Floor for Questions

13:45 p.m. End of First Day

Friday, November 21

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Round Table: “Consumer arbitration: a key tool for agile, effective, fair, and accessible resolution”

Moderator: Alicia Menéndez (Deputy Director of the Secretariat of the Council of Consumers and Users)

Participants:

Tiziana Tallaro, General Director of Confianza Online.

Blanca Rivas Roige, President of the Consumer Arbitration Board of Vilafranca del Penedès.

Juan Manuel Velázquez Gardeta, President of the Consumer Arbitration Board of Euskadi

Xavier Hormigos, President of the Transport Arbitration Board of Catalonia.

10:30 - 10:40 a.m. Open Floor for Questions

10:40 - 11:10 a.m. Coffee Break

11:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. Round Table: “How to promote better consumer protection?”

Moderator: Elisenda Camps (journalist)

Participants:

Alexandre Biard, head of Enforcement and Competition at European Consumer Organisation BEUC.

Xènia Escoda Argilés, Lawyer at the Organisation of Consumers and Users of Catalonia (OCUC).

Jordi Sànchez i Picanyol, Director of Social Rights at the Catalan Ombudsman.

12:10 - 12:20 p.m. Open Floor for Questions

12:20 - 13:20 p.m. Round Table: “Is consumer arbitration a plus for businesses?”

Moderator: Elisenda Camps (journalist)

Participants:

Maria José Gallego Morales, Legal & Assurance, Data & Consumer Affairs MASORANGE.

Ernesto Alejandro Suárez Puga, CaixaBank Banking Law Lawyer.

Àlex Mestre Perolada, President of the Council of the College of Insurance Mediators.

13:20 - 13:30 p.m. Open Floor for Questions

13:30 - 13:40 p.m. Closing

13:45 p.m. Appetizer time

PDF Program

Speakers

Daniel Innerarity

Ikerbasque Research Professor, UPV/EHU & Head of Globernance, Institute for Democratic Governance

Paloma Pelegrín

Consumer Prosecutor of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Barcelona

Fernando Viana

Director of CIAB – Consumer Arbitration Tribunal of Braga, Portugal

Tiziana Tallaro

Director of Confianza Online

Elisenda Camps

Journalist

Maria José Gallego Morales

Legal & Assurance, Data & Consumer Aairs MASORANGE

Isidor Garcia

Director of the Catalan Agency of Consumer Aairs

Pascual Ortuño Muñoz

Retired magistrate from the Provincial Court of Barcelona and former Director of the Spanish Judicial School and the Catalan Department of Justice.

Aida Gasiunaite-Stavginskiene

Deputy Director of State Consumer Rights Protection Authority of Lithuania

Blanca Rivas Roige

President of the Consumer Arbitration Board of Vila franca del Penedès

Alexandre Biard

Head of Enforcement and Competition at Euro pean Consumer Organi sation BEUC

Ernesto Alejandro Suárez Puga

PhD in Economic and Business Law from ESADE, Deusto, and Comillas. Lawyer specialized in banking contracts, consumer law, and financial regulation. Professor of Commercial Law at ESADE