Earlier this week the Brussels-based European Commission proposed that harmed consumers be able to file class action lawsuits in the EU to seek compensation. Within a few hours both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and business groups in the EU were warning of abusive litigation.

Currently, nine EU countries do not allow class action suits and other member nations have incomplete or varied laws that provide different levels of consumer protection. An EU-wide change in that stance would affect U.S. multinational companies and their in-house counsel, as well as EU companies.