Collective redress in environmental matters - a private international law perspective through the lens of the Dieselgate scandal

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges and complexities surrounding collective environmental redress from a private international law perspective, with a specific focus on the Dieselgate scandal. Through an examination of the Brussels Ia Regulation and the Representative Actions Directive, it analyzes issues of international jurisdiction and the coordination of parallel proceedings in transnational environmental litigation. Drawing upon the ongoing Dieselgate litigation saga before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), this paper provides insights into the legal and practical hurdles encountered by representative organizations in navigating cross-border environmental disputes. By elucidating jurisprudential developments and practical implications stemming from Dieselgate, this study offers a nuanced understanding of collective redress mechanisms in the context of environmental and private international law.