The 7th Petar Šarčević Conference is dedicated to ‘Consumer Protection in Transition: Digital Transformation and Better Enforcement’ and this year took place in hybrid format, the physical aspect of the event being held at Hotel Ambasador in Opatija, Croatia. On Friday 24 September 2021, ELI’s President, Prof Dr Pascal Pichonnaz, gave a keynote, in the course of the programme’s fourth session, on ‘AI to Adjudicate Small Claims for Consumers: Dream or Nightmare?’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of several topics under the Law and Governance for the Digital Age pillar of ELI’s project portfolio, with ELI currently undertaking a project on AI and Public Administration – Developing Impact Assessments and Public Participation for Digital Democracy. In his keynote, President, Prof Dr Pascal Pichonnaz addressed the challenges of AI in enhanced decision processes, but also some positive aspects triggered by a possible recourse to AI in adjudicating small claims. However, he suggested that there should be a two-step process, allowing parties to refer to a judge if the first-step assessment by an AI program is not satisfactory for the parties.

The well-attended Conference also featured speeches by several other ELI members including Geraint Howells, Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, Jürgen Basedow, Christian Twigg-Flesner, Martin Schmidt-Kessel and Damjan Možina.

Petar Šarčević conferences are organised biannually in honour of respected legal scholar Professor Petar Šarčević, who is also known as one of the founding editors of the Yearbook of Private International Law.