In a unanimous decision, the Cyprus Parliament has approved a harmonized law that permits collective lawsuits by consumers to protect their collective interests. The aim is to prevent illicit practices, reduce consumer harm, and strengthen procedural mechanisms for safeguarding the collective interests of consumers. This will enable the issuance of prohibitory orders and measures for rectification or restoration.

Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, a DISY MP and the Chair of the Parliamentary Trade Committee, highlighted past attempts by the relevant ministry to strip consumer representatives of their rights. Essentially, these attempts sought to hinder collective action—a move that was not accepted. The committee reinstated the rights for collective legal action. He also expressed concern about the intense conflict observed between the Trade Ministry and its political head with consumer associations. Hadjiyiannis stressed the need for a more collaborative approach to address soaring prices.

AKEL MP, Kostas Kostas, criticized what he termed the 'incredible delay' by the executive power in presenting the harmonized bill. Although it was to be approved by December 2022, it only reached the Parliament in April 2023. This delay, he noted, brought the Republic of Cyprus close to legal penalties.

Stavros Papadouris, a representative of the Greens, pointed out that consumer issues had been sidelined for years. It was only in the past two years, due to increased pressure on the issue of high prices, that they realized they couldn't effectively utilize the tools they had. He argued that authorities owe an apology to the public for their tardiness in implementing obvious measures.

DIKO President, Nikolas Papadopoulos, underscored that with the new law, consumers can launch mass lawsuits against defective products for the first time. He hailed this as a significant innovation—a tool that could potentially enhance product safety.