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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Enquanto forma de administração da justiça, os meios de Resolução Alternativa de Litígios (RAL)
têm ganho grande significado, quer para a União Europeia (UE), quer para os Estados Membros
(EM). Os consumidores da UE, em caso de conflitos, têm a possibilidade de lançar mão dos
mecanismos de RAL (tais como, Conciliação, Mediação e Arbitragem) com vista a dirimir os seus
conflitos de uma forma mais justa, célere, com baixo custo, menos burocrática e eficaz.
Em Portugal, a política da proteção dos direitos dos consumidores já é bastante antiga, sendo
que os primeiros passos ocorreram com entrada em vigor da atual Constituição da República
Portuguesa (CRP) que, no seu art.º 81, alínea i), define como incumbência do Estado “Garantir
a defesa dos interesses e os direitos dos consumidores”, e com a Lei de Defesa do Consumidor
(LDC) publicada em 1996 (Lei n.º 24 de 31 de julho). Ademais, da incumbência do Estado, a LDC
define também que os organismos da Administração Pública, nomeadamente as Autarquias
Locais, devem desenvolver políticas que visem a formação, proteção e informação dos
consumidores como a constituição de estruturas municipais de informação ao consumidor, bem
como a dinamização da criação de Centros de Arbitragens de Conflitos de Consumo (CACC).
Com a presente dissertação foi pretendido avaliar a necessidade de criação de um CACC no
território da região que integra a Comunidade Intermunicipal das Terras de Trás-os-Montes (CIM TTM), uma vez que, na região, não existe nenhum centro de arbitragem no qual os consumidores
possam dirimir os seus conflitos de consumo.
A investigação adotou como método de recolha de informação uma abordagem mista. Optou-se
pelo inquérito com recurso a entrevista semiestruturada e a questionário. A entrevista foi dirigida
aos presidentes das câmaras municipais que integram a CIM-TTM e aos diretores dos CACC
existentes em Portugal. O questionário foi dirigido à população residente nos municípios que
integram a CIM-TTM.
Os resultados mostraram que os CACC têm vindo a desempenhar um papel fundamental na
administração da justiça, proporcionando aos consumidores uma justiça eficaz, célere, gratuita
ou de reduzido custo e mais próxima. A maioria dos municípios estudados não possui uma
política consolidada de consumo direcionada aos seus munícipes. Constatou-se também que
mais de metade dos consumidores inquiridos já tiveram um conflito de consumo, porém não
fizeram valer os seus direitos. As principais razões apontadas, para tal, foram o desconhecimento
dos CACC e a ausência dos CACC na região-alvo da presente investigação.
As a form of administration of justice, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has gained great significance for both the European Union (EU) and the Member States (MS). EU consumers, in the event of disputes, have the possibility of resorting to ADR mechanisms (such as Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) in order to settle their disputes in a fairer, faster, less expensive, less bureaucratic and more effective way. In Portugal, the policy of protecting consumer rights is already quite old, the first steps having occurred with the entry into force of the current Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (CRP), which, in its article 81, paragraph i), defines the State’s duty to “Guarantee the defense of consumer interests and rights”, and with the Consumer Defense Law (LDC) published in 1996 (Law no. 24 of 31 July). Besides the State's duty, the LDC also defines that the Public Administration bodies, namely the Local Authorities, must develop policies aiming at consumer training, protection, and information, such as the creation of municipal structures of consumer information, as well as the promotion of the creation of Consumer Conflict Arbitration Centres (CACC). With this dissertation it was intended to assess the need to create a CACC in the territory of the region that integrates the Intermunicipal Community of Terras de Trás-os-Montes (CIM-TTM), since, in the region, there is no arbitration centre where consumers can settle their consumer disputes. The research adopted as method of information collection a mixed approach. We opted for a survey using a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire. The interview was addressed to the mayors of the municipalities that integrate the CIM-TTM and to the directors of the CACCs existing in Portugal. The questionnaire was addressed to the resident population in the municipalities that integrate the CIM-TTM. The results showed that the CACCs have been playing a key role in the administration of justice, providing consumers with effective, swift, free, or low-cost justice that is closer to them. Most of the municipalities studied do not have a consolidated consumer policy aimed at their citizens. It was also found that more than half of the consumers surveyed had already had a consumer dispute but had not asserted their rights. The main reasons given for this were the lack of knowledge about the CACC and the absence of CACC in the target region of this research
As a form of administration of justice, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has gained great significance for both the European Union (EU) and the Member States (MS). EU consumers, in the event of disputes, have the possibility of resorting to ADR mechanisms (such as Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) in order to settle their disputes in a fairer, faster, less expensive, less bureaucratic and more effective way. In Portugal, the policy of protecting consumer rights is already quite old, the first steps having occurred with the entry into force of the current Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (CRP), which, in its article 81, paragraph i), defines the State’s duty to “Guarantee the defense of consumer interests and rights”, and with the Consumer Defense Law (LDC) published in 1996 (Law no. 24 of 31 July). Besides the State's duty, the LDC also defines that the Public Administration bodies, namely the Local Authorities, must develop policies aiming at consumer training, protection, and information, such as the creation of municipal structures of consumer information, as well as the promotion of the creation of Consumer Conflict Arbitration Centres (CACC). With this dissertation it was intended to assess the need to create a CACC in the territory of the region that integrates the Intermunicipal Community of Terras de Trás-os-Montes (CIM-TTM), since, in the region, there is no arbitration centre where consumers can settle their consumer disputes. The research adopted as method of information collection a mixed approach. We opted for a survey using a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire. The interview was addressed to the mayors of the municipalities that integrate the CIM-TTM and to the directors of the CACCs existing in Portugal. The questionnaire was addressed to the resident population in the municipalities that integrate the CIM-TTM. The results showed that the CACCs have been playing a key role in the administration of justice, providing consumers with effective, swift, free, or low-cost justice that is closer to them. Most of the municipalities studied do not have a consolidated consumer policy aimed at their citizens. It was also found that more than half of the consumers surveyed had already had a consumer dispute but had not asserted their rights. The main reasons given for this were the lack of knowledge about the CACC and the absence of CACC in the target region of this research
Description
Keywords
Centro de arbitragem Direto do consumidor Consumidor Autarquias locais CIM-TTM