114:, of a product is strictly liable to compensate a consumer for any damage caused by a defective product. A "defect" is anything which falls below what a consumer is entitled to expect, and this essentially means that products should be safe for their purpose. A narrow defense is available if a producer can show that a defect could not be known by any scientific method, thought this has never been successfully invoked, because it is generally thought a profit making enterprise should not be able to
20:
71:, requiring information and cancellation rights for consumers. As a whole, the law is designed to ensure that consumers in the EU are entitled to the same minimum rights wherever they make their transactional decisions, and largely follows inspiration from theories of consumer protection developed in California, and the
54:
to protect consumers "health, safety and economic interests" and promote rights to "information, education and to organise themselves in order to safeguard their interests". All member states may grant higher protection, and a "high level of consumer protection" is regarded as a fundamental right.
220:
The
European Commission announced a "New Deal for Consumers" in April 2018, which put forward plans to strengthen consumer law and the coordination of consumer rights enforcement by national authorities. The "new deal" involved updating the directives on unfair terms in consumer contracts, price
55:
Consumers are entitled to a legislative "charter of rights" to safe and healthy products, fair terms, proper information free from misleading advertising and marketing, and rights of cancellation. Beyond these general principles, and outside specific sectors, there are four main
Directives: the
173:
advised that clauses in a tenancy contract requiring tenants pay €25 per day were likely unfair, and would have to be entirely void without replacement, if they were not substituted with more precise mandatory terms in national legislation. In
27:, consumers are entitled to a legislative "charter of rights" to safe and healthy products, fair terms, proper information free from misleading advertising and marketing, and rights of cancellation.
110:
for all producers and retailers for any harm to consumers from products, as a way to promote basic standards of health and safety. Any producer, or supplier if the ultimate producer is
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has continually affirmed that the
Directive, as recital 16 states, "is based on the idea that the consumer is in a weak position vis-Ă -vis the seller or supplier, as regards both his
825:
Directive 98/6/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of products offered to consumers
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The EU's
Directive 98/6/EC, published on 16 February 1998 with a transposition deadline of 18 March 2000, was concerned with "consumer protection in the indication of the
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122:
60:
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was the second main measure. Under article 3(1) a term is unfair, and not binding, if it is not "individually negotiated| and "if, contrary to the requirement of
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202:, in the event that a home could be repossessed. Because consumer law operates through Directives, national courts have the final say on applying the
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indications, unfair business practices and consumer rights, along with a proposal to replace the existing injunctions directive with a directive on "
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advised that even terms regarding repossession of homes in Spain had to be assessed for fairness by national courts. In
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has continually affirmed the importance of ensuring more consumer rights than in commercial contracts, both because of
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in the parties' rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the consumer". The
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This amended
Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC and Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC
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523:(2011) C-65/09 & C-87/09 under the former Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive 1999/44/EC
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held that consumer law was to be interpreted in the light of fundamental rights, including the
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A New Deal for
Consumers: Commission strengthens EU consumer rights and enforcement
145:". Terms which are very skewed, are to be conclusively regarded as contrary to "
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for the protection of the collective interests of consumers".
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853:, Press Release published 11 April 2018, accessed 5 May 2024
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to be insufficiently transparent, and therefore unfair. In
719:, 'Good Faith in European Contract Law' (1994) 14 OJLS 229
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was the first consumer protection measure. It creates
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See further, for the history behind the parallel in
827:, published 16 February 1998, accessed 5 May 2024
295:Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Directive 1993
123:Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Directive 1993
61:Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Directive 1993
755:MĂĽnchener Kommentar zum BĂĽrgerlichen Gesetzbuch
626:
624:
459:, guarantee a high level of consumer protection
409:Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
159:to vary unilaterally prices were stated by the
48:Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
840:, published 11 April 2018, accessed 5 May 2024
644:(2000) C-240/98 to C-244/98 and ECR I-4941,
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8:
642:Océano Grupo Editorial and Salvat Editores
589:Markets in Financial Instruments Directive
366:Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005
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65:Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005
521:Ingrid Putz v Medianess Electronics GmbH
494:Unfair Consumer Contract Terms Directive
149:" and therefore unfair. For example, in
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915:European Union consumer protection law
196:Court of Justice of the European Union
171:Court of Justice of the European Union
537:Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
415:Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
7:
730:Banco Español de Crédito SA v Camino
633:Banco Español de Crédito SA v Camino
552:Flight Delay Compensation Regulation
342:Aziz v Caixa d´Estalvis de Catalunya
306:Banco Español de Crédito SA v Camino
177:Aziz v Caixa d'Estalvis de Catalunya
38:within Europe, particularly through
772:RWE AG v Verbraucherzentrale NRW eV
452:European Convention on Human Rights
411:article 169, on consumer protection
318:RWE AG v Verbraucherzentrale NRW eV
217:of products offered to consumers".
152:RWE AG v Verbraucherzentrale NRW eV
44:European Convention on Human Rights
14:
517:Gebr. Weber GMBH v JĂĽrgen Wittmer
686:Product Liability Directive 1985
478:General Product Safety Directive
285:Product Liability Directive 1985
101:Product Liability Directive 1985
57:Product Liability Directive 1985
376:Consumer Rights Directive 2011
354:Kušionová v SMART Capital a.s.
191:Kušionová v SMART Capital a.s.
89:inequality of bargaining power
69:Consumer Rights Directive 2011
52:ordinary legislative procedure
1:
560:Electronic Commerce Directive
457:Charter of Fundamental Rights
182:financial crisis of 2007–2008
118:the risks of its activities.
890:EU consumer rights law page
885:EU Commission consumer page
871:See EU Directive 2000/31/EC
470:Product Liability Directive
931:
566:Payment Services Directive
503:Information and withdrawal
431:Payment Services Directive
50:enables the EU to use its
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509:Consumer Rights Directive
423:Consumer Rights Directive
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161:European Court of Justice
81:European Court of Justice
25:unequal bargaining power
910:Consumer protection law
581:Late Payments Directive
439:Late Payments Directive
404:Consumer Bill of Rights
73:Consumer Bill of Rights
838:New Deal for Consumers
223:representative actions
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849:European Commission,
836:European Commission,
700:PLD 1985 arts 1 and 3
399:Second Bill of Rights
131:significant imbalance
85:information asymmetry
46:. Article 169 of the
32:European consumer law
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609:English contract law
263:Consumer law sources
108:enterprise liability
747:German contract law
670:art 169(3) and the
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330:Brusse v Jahani BV
204:general principles
166:Brusse v Jahani BV
143:level of knowledge
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691:, recital 1 and 6
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757:§307 Rn 32
710:UTCCD 1993
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615:References
592:2004/39/EC
569:2007/64/EC
540:2005/29/EC
512:2011/83/EU
481:2001/95/EC
473:85/374/EEC
434:2007/64/EC
426:2011/83/EU
418:2005/29/EC
147:good faith
127:good faith
823:EUR-Lex,
717:H Collins
584:2011/7/EU
531:Marketing
441:2011/7/EU
385:See also
112:insolvent
34:concerns
789:C-488/11
715:and see
713:93/13/EC
555:261/2004
497:93/13/EC
229:See also
141:and his
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777:C-92/11
775:(2013)
767:EUR-Lex
733:(2012)
657:art 169
640:, and
636:(2012)
598:General
95:History
675:art 38
604:EU law
387:EU law
277:art 38
215:prices
194:, the
184:, the
105:strict
87:, and
753:§307
672:CFREU
275:CFREU
668:TFEU
654:TFEU
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525:note
519:and
271:TFEU
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157:RWE
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