消费者协会公益诉讼制度源于德国的团体诉讼制度。团体因为在社会生活中具有广泛而深远的影响力，立法者于是授予团体诉权，与违法行为作斗争，参与维护社会秩序。长期以来，我国一直缺乏公益诉讼制度，面对社会生活中不断涌现的新型环境纠纷和消费者纠纷，人们迫切地呼吁建立公益诉讼制度。随着全国人大常委会 2012 年与2013 年分别对《民事诉讼法》和《消费者权益保护法》的修改，消费者协会公益诉讼制度正式被写入法律。由于缺乏相应的实践和理论经验，在这次修法时，消费者协会公益诉讼的规定较为笼统和原则，实践中缺乏可操作性。研究德国的团体诉讼制度能对进一步完善我国的消费者协会公益诉讼制度带来重要启示。
本文主要分为四个部分：
第一章主要研究德国消费者团体诉权的历史沿革。德国立法者一开始并没有赋予消费者团体诉权。消费者团体是随着消费者政策逐步受到重视才被授予诉权的。欧盟在促进消费者集体权利保护方面也扮演了积极的角色，德国历次立法或修法都是转换欧盟指令的结果。随着法律对消费者团体诉权的不断扩充，德国消费者团体的诉权逐步形成比较完整的体系。
第二章主要介绍德国团体诉讼的理论基础。德国立法者在构建团体诉讼制度时，充分考虑到私法自治的原则以及双方当事人原则，赋予团体的诉权是一种实体法上的独立请求权，且该请求权主要是一种防御性的请求权。赋予团体这样的诉权更多的是出于对公共利益的保护。
第三章主要介绍德国现行法下消费者团体享有的诉权。德国消费者团体的诉权以防御性请求权为核心，表现为不作为请求权或排除请求权。由于不作为请求权和排除请求权防御性的特征，相应的诉讼并不能对已经实施的违法行为施以任何惩戒。德国立法者赋予了消费者团体收缴请求权，行为人通过违法行为获得的益处就会通过团体诉讼被收缴。为了促进对个人权利的救济，消费者团体还可以接受消费者的权利转让，向法院提起收取之诉。
第四章主要探讨完善我国现有消费者公益诉讼制度的可能性。我国消费者公益诉讼制度刚建立不久，规范尚未完善。结合德国消费者团体诉讼的经验，当下最紧迫的任务是将消费者协会的诉权制度化。
具体而言，一方面应鼓励消费者组织的发展，另一方面按应先从当前问题集中、相对易操作的方面着手。
关键词：消费者团体；团体诉讼；公益诉讼
ABSTRACTThe litigation for public interest by China Consumers’ Associationoriginates from the litigation by consumers’ groups in Germany. Becausein Germany the consumers’ groups have extensive influence on social life,lawmakers vest the qualification of litigation in groups to fight against theillegal behaviors and to participate in maintaining the social order. Chinalacked the litigation system for public interest for a long time. In the faceof new disputes by environment and consumer in society it has been calledurgently for the establishment of litigation for public interest. As thestanding committee of the National People’s Congress amended the CivilProcedure Law in 2012 and the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rightsand Interests in 2013, the litigation for public interest by ChinaConsumer’s Association was formally and finally written into laws.Because of the lack of the relevant theoretical research and experience inthe practice the amendments provide only general rules and principles, sothat in the practice it is impossible in accordance with these rules toinstitute an action in a people's court. Studying the relevant rules oflitigation of consumers’ groups in Germany can bring importantinspiration to improve the litigation for public interest in China.
This paper consists of four chapters.
The first chapter mainly studies history of the litigation byconsumer’s groups in Germany. The German lawmaker didn’t vest thequalification of litigation in consumers’ groups at first. As the policy toprotect the interests of consumer had been taken seriously by thegovernment, the right of suit for consumers’ groups has got to be granted.EU plays also a positive role in promoting to protect the collective rightsof consumers. The previous legislation or amendments in Germany are theresult of the converting of the EU directives. With the continuousextension of the suit right these rights formed a relatively completesystem.
The second chapter introduces the theoretical basis of the groupaction in Germany. By the establishment of the group action the Germanlawmakers has taken the principle of autonomy in private law as well asprinciple of the two parties in civil procedure law into full considerationand granted the independent suit rights for the groups on the substantivelaw and with these suit rights the groups can primarily make a defensiveclaim. The reason hereto is to protect the public interest.
In the third chapter the suit rights of consumers’groups in accordancewith the current German law is introduced. They are mainly defensiveclaims in the performance of claims for non-action. Because the claim fornon-action has the defensive characteristics, the claim can’t punish theprevious illegal behaviors. Then the lawmakers have granted the suit rightfor consumers’ groups to make a claim to collect the illegal benefits. Inorder to promote the protecting of the individual rights the individualconsumers can transfer their rights to consumers’ groups and theconsumers’groups will make a claim.
The fourth chapter focuses on the possibility of improving thelitigation for the public interest by China Consumers’ Association. Therelevant rules have been just written into law soon and not yet perfect. Inconsideration with the experience of group action in Germany the mosturgent task is that the suit rights of Consumers’ Association should rightnow be described in law. Particularly the development of consumers’
organizations should be encouraged on the on hand; on the other hand itshould start with the current focused problems that they require just simplesolutions.
Key words: consumers’ groups; group action; action for publicinterest
目 录
摘要
引 言
第一章 德国消费者团体诉讼的历史沿革
一、德国团体诉讼的开端
二、团体诉讼的主体扩张——消费者团体获得诉权
三、1965 年后消费者团体诉讼的发展以及欧盟的影响
第二章 德国团体诉讼的理论基础
一、私法自治与双方当事人原则
二、团体诉权的本质—实体法上的防御性请求权
三、团体获得诉权原因—保护公共利益
第三章 德国消费者团体依据现行法享有的诉权及其评价
一、不作为请求权与排除请求权
（一）依据《反不正当竞争法》的排除请求权和不作为请求权
（二）依据《不作为诉讼法》的不作为请求权和撤销请求权
（三）依据《反限制竞争法》的排除请求权与不作为请求权
二、收缴请求权
（一）依据《反不正当竞争法》的收缴利润请求权
（二）依据《反限制竞争法》的收缴利益请求权
三、收取请求权
第四章 中国消费者协会诉权制度化的建议
一、消费者协会公益诉讼制度的确立
（一）代表人诉讼制度对维护公益的不足
（二）消费者协会公益诉讼的确立
（三）代表人诉讼与消费者协会公益诉讼的关系
二、《民诉法解释》对公益诉讼制度规范的缺陷
三、消费者协会诉权制度化的建议
（一）促进消费者组织的多元化发展
（二）明确消费者协会的诉讼权利
结 论
参考文献
