The Consumer Mediation Service is an autonomous public service that performs various tasks.
About the Consumer Mediation Service
How we work
Informing
Informing consumers and businesses of their rights and obligations with regards the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes and the procedure adapted to your situation.
Receiving
Receiving and processing all requests for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, unless it is necessary to pass it on to another entity within whose remit the case falls.
Intervening
We intervene ourselves in any request for out-of-court settlement of a dispute for which no other entity has jurisdiction (find out more about our procedure).
These and other criteria are listed in Book XVI of the Code of Economic Law and in the Royal Decree of 16 February 2015.
The Consumer Mediation Service has been a qualified entity recognized by the FPS Economy since 28/05/2015. The full list of recognized qualified entities can be consulted on the FPS Economy website.
The team
The Management Committee
The Consumer Mediation Service is administered and represented by a Management Committee made up of 10 members:
- 2 energy mediators
- 2 telecommunications mediators
- 2 mediators for the postal sector
- 2 mediators for rail passengers
- 1 ombudsman for financial services
- 1 ombudsman for insurance
The Management Board also includes a representative from both the Ministry for the Economy and the Ministry for the Budget. These representatives sit on the Management Board in an advisory capacity.
The networks
The Consumer Mediation Service is a member of various networks:
Ombudsman.be
Ombudsman.be is the network of Belgian mediation services. The network’s main objectives are as follows:
- raise awareness of mediation services;
- make mediation services more accessible to the public;
- promote cooperation between the various mediators;
- ensure the mutual exchange of experience and knowledge.
Network of residual services
The Consumer Mediation Service is also a member of the informal network of qualified residual bodies in Germany, Luxembourg and Austria. We meet once a year to learn from each other.
