The Mediator, Catherine BROUARD-GALLET

Ms Catherine Brouard-Gallet is an honorary councillor at the Court of Cassation and a former councillor of State in extraordinary service. Most recently, she served from 2020 to the end of 2024 in the Fourth Chamber of the Litigation Section of the Council of State.

She has served as a judge in the judicial system, including at the public prosecutor’s office of the Evry Regional Court, the Civil Affairs and Seals Directorate of the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Cassation, where she sat in the Second Civil Chamber.

She has also been a member of the Legal Department of the Constitutional Council and a référendaire at the Court of Justice of the European Union.

In carrying out her duties, she has dealt on several occasions with amicable dispute-resolution methods and consumer law.

A message from the Mediator

Catherine BROUARD-GALLET

Médiatrice SNCF Voyageurs

“As I succeed Ms Henriette Chaubon, a respected Mediator who held this position for seven years, I will continue the mediation work at SNCF Voyageurs in keeping with the spirit that has guided it for many years.

With the support of a well-organised team and building on the strong foundations of this mediation service, as well as on the improvements made in recent years to the tools needed to carry it out, I will pursue this mission with conviction. Its aim is to find amicable solutions to conflicts between passengers and the various carriers, easing tensions, building trust and restoring dialogue between SNCF Voyageurs and its customers.

Every mediation process must respect clear principles: accessibility and confidentiality on the one hand; and the Mediator’s impartiality, independence, neutrality, integrity and competence on the other. The process must also be conducted diligently, in accordance with the requirements of EU and national law.

Recognising the role mediation plays in relations between rail operators and their passengers, I will work to uphold these principles and reconcile differing views in accordance with applicable law and fairness, in complete independence.”

The role of the Mediator

• The Mediator is an external figure, independent of the carriers, with whom she has no hierarchical or functional relationship.
• She is appointed by the Consumer Advisory Council, a joint committee affiliated with SNCF Voyageurs.
• She has expertise in mediation and sound legal knowledge, particularly in consumer law.
• She must be listed among the mediators notified to the European Commission.
• She may not receive instructions from any of the parties, particularly the carriers or their representatives.
• If, during the mediation process, the Mediator’s impartiality is compromised in any way, she will inform the parties immediately. They may then object to her continuing her role.
• The Mediator’s remuneration is not linked to the outcome of mediation.
• The Mediator’s term of office is three years and may be renewed. For three years after her term ends, the Mediator may not work for any of the transport companies that signed the Mediation Protocol.