(L-R) Marcel Laschette, Luxembourg Consumer Union (ULC); Nico Hoffman, President of the Luxembourg Consumer Union (ULC); Martine Hansen, Minister of Consumer Protection; Paul Gries, Luxembourg Consumer Union (ULC);
Credit: Directorate for Consumer Protection
Luxembourg’s Directorate for Consumer Protection and the Luxembourg Consumer Union (ULC) announced on Wednesday 22 January 2025 that Minister of Consumer Protection, Martine Hansen, formally signed the annual agreement with the ULC, ensuring financial support for the ULC’s actions in favour of consumers.
The aim of this financial support is to support the information, education and assistance activities carried out by the ULC in the context of national cases relating to the area of automobile purchases and repairs.
A report analysing the cases handled by the ULC Litigation Service, in relation to automobile purchases and repairs, was also presented during the signing. This report, produced at the request of the Consumer Protection Department, examines the activities of the ULC Litigation Service in this area for the period from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2024. During this period, 809 cases relating to the automotive sector were processed.
The report states that, taking into consideration the total number of vehicle sales and the vehicle fleet in circulation, the situation may appear satisfactory from the perspective of professionals in the sector. However, it should be noted that the number of cases processed by the ULC, all areas combined, only provides a partial view of the overall activity. Beyond the disputes or questions submitted to the ULC, other cases are handled either by the courts, or by the consumer ombudsman (21 cases related to automobiles in 2022 and twelve in 2023), or directly by consumers themselves.
The full report (in French) can be viewed at: https://gouvernement.lu/dam-assets/images-documents/actualites/2025/01/22-hansen-ulc/rapport-sur-les-activits-du-service-contentieux-de-lulc-en-matire-dachats-et-de-rparations-automobiles.pdf
