Recital (22)

In various situations, for instance mass flight cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic, ADR procedures proved to be an important mechanism for dealing with the increased number of consumer issues. Therefore, Member States should allow ADR entities to bundle cases in order to make ADR outcomes consistent for consumers subjected to the same illegal practices and more cost-efficient for ADR entities and traders, for example where bundling leads to faster or more coherent dispute resolution. Member States should ensure that consumers are informed of such bundling so that they are able to decide whether or not they want to participate in the ADR procedure that involves bundling. Member States should also have the possibility to lay down additional conditions for the bundling of cases. For example, Member States should be able to provide that consumers have the possibility to object to the bundling of their cases or that consumers must give their explicit consent to bundling. Member States should be also allowed to determine whether, in cases of objection or in the absence of explicit consent, the ADR procedure would continue without bundling or be discontinued. Additional conditions could include requirements for a specified level of similarity of the cases to be bundled. In that respect, Member States should have the possibility to lay down rules on how to identify similar cases for the purpose of bundling. It is important to clarify that the requirement for the natural persons in charge of ADR to possess the necessary knowledge and skills in the field of alternative or judicial resolution of consumer disputes set out in Directive 2013/11/EU, as amended by this Directive, also applies to the bundling of cases.