Published by De Gruyter

Volume 1 Issue 3

Issue of European Review of Contract Law

Contents
Journal Overview

September 9, 2005

Editorial

Martijn W. Hesselink

Page range: 295-296

Abstract

Who has a stake in European contract law? In its communication of October 2004 ( The Way Forward ) the European Commission said that stakeholder participation in the elaboration of a Common Frame of Reference (CFR) by researchers was essential. It therefore announced that it would set up a network of stakeholder experts which should ‘make an ongoing, detailed contribution to the researchers’ preparatory work’ ( The Way Forward , 10). This was an excellent idea: the Commission rightly acknowledges that drafting a common European contract law is not a merely technical exercise. There are many diverging interests at stake. Therefore, the creation of a CFR cannot be left entirely to academics.

September 9, 2005

System and Principles of EC Contract Law

Karl Riesenhuber

Page range: 297-322

Abstract

European Private Law – the rules and principles of private law contained in the EC Treaty and the secondary legislation based upon the Treaty – has often been criticised for its lack of coherence. Some argue that it consists of a number of dots only which do not fit together. European Private Law is, in other words, the very contrary of a coherent whole (system). A proper judgement of this proposition must be based on a detailed analysis of the acquis communautaire. The present article undertakes such analysis for the realm of European Contract Law, more specifically for the law on rights of revocation. The analysis illustrates that the large number of individual “points” of regulation can well be understood as parts of a coherent picture. While it cannot be denied that there are disparities in many respects, the rules do harmoniously fit together in many respects. Le droit privé européen – les règles et principes de droit privé contenus dans le traité communautaire et la législation dérivée – a souvent été critiqué pour son manque de cohérence. Certains soutiennent qu’il consiste en un ensemble de points discontinus qui ne s’ajustent pas les uns avec les autres. En d’autres termes, le droit privé européen est tout le contraire d’un ensemble cohérent (un système). Une vérification de cette proposition doit être basée sur une analyse détaillée de l‘acquis communautaire. Le présent article se livre à une telle analyse dans le domaine du droit européen des contrats, plus précisément à propos des droits de révocation. L’analyse montre qu’un grand nombre de «points» de régulation peuvent en réalité être compris comme des parties d’un tableau cohérent. Certes on ne peut nier l’existence de disparités à de nombreux égards, mais sur plusieurs aspects, les règles s’ajustent harmonieusement. Das Europäische Privatrecht – das im Primärrecht enthaltene und auf seiner Grundlage von der Gemeinschaft gesetzte Privatrecht – wird seit langem kritisiert: es bestehe lediglich aus einer Vielzahl von punktuellen, inhaltlich nicht abgestimmten Einzelregeln. Europäisches Privatrecht sei m. a. W. das Gegenteil von einem System i. S. eines geordneten Ganzen. Ob die Regeln des Europäischen Privatrechts sich zu einem von Prinzipien geordneten System zusammenfügen, lässt sich nur durch eine nähere Untersuchung des acquis communautaire feststellen. Das wird hier beispielhaft für das Europäische Vertragsrecht und dort für die Widerrufsrechte unternommen. Die Erörterung zeigt, dass sich die Vielzahl der Punkte bei näherem Hinsehen als Bestandteile eines Gesamtbildes erkennen lassen. Mögen sie farblich auch noch in vielen Einzelpunkten der Überarbeitung bedürfen, so ist dieses Gesamtbild doch weithin harmonisch abgestimmt.

September 9, 2005

A New Social Contract Law for Public Services? – Consequences from Regulation of Services of General Economic Interest in the EC

Peter Rott

Page range: 323-345

Abstract

The legal framework for services of general interest has changed. Energy, water, telecommunications services, postal services, and railways services, are increasingly provided by private providers that operate on a more or less liberalised market. In contrast, the introduction of consumer rights in this field has only begun. At the same time, a new social contract law is emerging at EC level that guarantees access for everyone to services of general interest of high quality at affordable prices. The article analyses the contract law implications of the plans of the EC Commission for general principles and conditions for the provision of services of general interest and discusses recent sectoral EC legislation. It also explores to what extent EC law confers individual rights on consumers. Le cadre légal des services d’intérêt général a changé. l’énergie, l’eau, les télécommunications, les services postaux et les transports ferroviaires sont de plus fournis par des opérateurs privés qui interviennent dans un marché plus ou moins libéralisé. En contraste, l’introduction de droits des consommateurs dans ce champ commence tout juste. Dans le même temps, un nouveau droit des contrats social émerge au niveau de l’Union européenne qui garantit l’accès de chacun à des services d’intérêt général de qualite et abordables. L’article analyse les implications sur le droit des contrats des plans de la commission européene relatifs aux principes généraux et conditions de fourniture des services d’intérêt général et discute la récente législation sectorielle européenne. Il examine également dans quelle mesure le droit européen des contrats confère des droits individuels aux consommateurs. Die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen für Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem Interesse haben sich geändert. Energie, Wasser, Telekommunikationsdienstleistungen sowie die Dienstleistungen von Post und Eisenbahn werden zunehmend von privaten Dienstleistern erbracht, die auf einem mehr oder weniger liberalisierten Markt operieren. Die Einführung von Verbraucherrechten in diesen Bereichen hat dagegen erst begonnen. Gleichzeitig entsteht in der EG ein neues sozialen Vertragsrecht, das jedem Zugang zu Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem Interesse von hoher Qualität zu erschwinglichen Preisen garantiert. Der Aufsatz analysiert die vertragsrechtlichen Implikationen der Pläne der Kommission der EG für allgemeine Prinzipien und Bedingungen für die Erbringung von Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem Interesse und erörtert jüngere sektorale Rechtsakte der EG in diesem Bereichen. Darüber hinaus untersucht er, inwieweit dem Verbraucher subjektive Rechte zuerkannt werden.

September 9, 2005

Cases and Case Notes

Page range: 346-356

September 9, 2005

European Community Legislation and Actions

Rossella Delfino

Page range: 357-359

Abstract

A – Non-exhaustive list of non legislative and legislative proposals, acts, and actions B – The European Contract Law initiative – Preparation phase of the Common Frame of Reference C – The Money Laundering Directive

September 9, 2005

The Scope of European Consumer Law

Geraint Howells

Page range: 360-372

Abstract

This comment examines the need for and the proper scope of European consumer law as an element of European law that is separate from legislation concerned with obstacles to the internal market European contract law in general. In proposing the need to maintain a separate basis for European intervention in consumer matters, the essay examines the concept of a consumer in European law in the light of recent cases and legislative developments, the implications of the new policy of maximal harmonization as illustrated by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, and how the Treaties may need to be adjusted to ensure a high level of protection for consumers in Europe.

September 9, 2005

France

Muriel Fabre-Mangnan

Page range: 373-383

Abstract

In France, the attention of the ‘doctrine’ is mainly focused on the ‘jurisprudence’ (case-law). Its main challenge has been to apply the 1804 Civil Code, which was enacted with a focus on contracts for the instantaneous exchanges of goods or services, to the growing number of long-term contracts, especially commercial contracts. But the actual importance of court decisions has thus probably been exaggerated, as, in fact, the legislation provides some most useful tools to guarantee, for instance, the fairness of the exchange.

September 9, 2005

Other News

Christian Hofmann

Page range: 384-388

Abstract

Report on the conference on European Methodology

September 9, 2005

Books Received and Book Reviews

Page range: 389-392

Abstract

Oliver Remien, Zwingendes Vertragsrecht und Grundfreiheiten des EG-Vertrags, (Tübingen: Mohr, 2003). ( Prof. Stefan Grundmann )

About this journal

This Journal deals with contract law and serves as a pan-European platform for discussion and analysis. The concept of a European Contract Law is still rather recent: the phrase was first coined in the 1990s. Since the early 2000s when this journal was created, European Contract Law has come to encompass an increasingly comprehensive body of law. There were three driving forces behind this development: the EC harmonisation of laws in the area of the internal market, a generally increased interest in comparative law discussions in contract law, and the European Commission’s Communication on European Contract Law, the Commission’s Action Plan and the Common Frame of Reference process. These developments brought about a changed climate of discussion. The foundations of contract law, examined from many perspectives and in view of various national legal systems and an increasing number of disciplines, are currently being discussed in great detail in the European arena. In 10 years contract law may be the first area of European private law to be regulated in a fully fleshed out European Code.

European Contract Law comprises diverse areas of the law such as sales, standard contract terms, distribution chains, marketing practices, research and development agreements, contract law copyright aspects, financial and investment services contracts, insurance contracts and e-commerce as well as non-discrimination within and beyond labour law and more generally, important aspects of labour contracts and other symbiotic contracts.

The importance and breadth of the field and the methods and questions involved are such that ERCL has established itself as the specialised European journal in this area. Since 2004 the standard of information and discussions on this platform have been consolidated: ERCL discusses the body of law in three sections: articles, case law, and literature on EC Contract Law. This takes place mainly in book reviews and, in addition, contains short sections on the most recent EC legislation, sectoral developments, national developments and other news. The Review focuses on existing law at the EC level and all rules influencing the formation, content and execution of contracts from default rules to regulation, from marketing aspects to the content of contracts, from consumer (and also labour) law to general contract law. The Review is open to a variety of approaches and provides the opportunity to read traditional 'dogmatic' explanations of the upcoming and existing law, assessments through comparative law studies as well as economic analysis and discussions of the philosophical foundations and major structural features. The Review is and has been the site of intense discussion of proposals for codification or, more generally, systemisation and comprehensive development of contract law at the EC level. The European Contract Law Code is too realistic an option and much too important not to be thoroughly discussed as transparently as possible with as many competing ideas and approaches as possible. Several special issues have followed this process in great detail. The journal is meant to help in establishing a functional market of ideas in one of the core areas of private law and one of the most important areas of European private law. ERCL is the journal covering this large body of law and the modern solutions to the problems encountered.