Stănescu C-G
Centre for Market and Economic Law, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Karen Blixens Plads 16, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
J Consum Policy (Dordr). 2021;44(2):179-216. doi: 10.1007/s10603-020-09476-8. Epub 2021 Jan 22.
The article seeks to establish, in a comprehensive manner, if and how abusive debt collection practices are regulated in the respondent EU Member States. Using empirical data gathered from consumer and supervisory agencies as well as debt collection associations in 26 EU Member States, it provides an insight into (a) the existence of a licencing regime for debt collectors; (b) the potential transboundary dimension of debt collection and its implications for the common market; (c) the types of abusive debt-collection practices encountered in the Member States; (d) the efficacy of self-regulation via Codes of Conduct; and (e) the potential traditional remedies available to consumer-debtors. The article concludes that the existence of different national models creates potential issues and discrepancies in the legal status and defences available to consumer-debtors across the EU, which ultimately affects the proper functioning of the single credit servicing market. The advocated solution is that of a harmonized sector-specific regulation of abusive debt collection practices at EU level.
本文旨在全面确定在作为受访者的欧盟成员国中,滥用债务催收行为是否以及如何受到监管。通过收集来自26个欧盟成员国的消费者和监管机构以及债务催收协会的实证数据,本文深入探讨了以下方面:(a)债务催收机构的许可制度的存在情况;(b)债务催收的潜在跨境层面及其对共同市场的影响;(c)成员国中遇到的滥用债务催收行为的类型;(d)通过行为准则进行自我监管的效力;以及(e)消费者债务人可用的潜在传统补救措施。本文得出结论,不同的国家模式的存在在整个欧盟范围内给消费者债务人的法律地位和抗辩理由带来了潜在问题和差异,这最终影响了单一信贷服务市场的正常运作。所倡导的解决方案是在欧盟层面进行统一的针对滥用债务催收行为的特定部门监管。