EU CONSUMER LAW (2ND ED.)

In recent years, EU consumer law has been subject to spectacular decisions by the European Court of Justice, with important consequences for the private law of Member States. Currently, it is under scrutiny by the EC Commission, which has just published a proposal for the revision of important aspects of the EU consumer law acquis. The three authors have taken a broad horizontal approach at the European acquis, thereby reflecting on the history, the achievements and also the shortcomings of EC law. EU consumer law is the core of European civil law. In recent years, in particular between the first edition of 2009 and this second edition, it has been subject to spectacular decisions by the Court of Justice of the European Union, with significant consequences for Member States’ law. This revised and thoroughly updated new edition follows and analyses this process in such important areas as unfair commercial practices, unfair terms, cross-border consumer protection, and product liability. There has been legislation in the area of consumer rights in distance and off-premise contracts, and very recently consumer ADR and ODR. Other projects are still in the pipeline, e.g. mortgage credit; another is subject to heated controversy, namely the proposed optional Common European Sales Law with an important part on consumer law. Even more importantly, the very concept of consumer and consumer protection has been subject to intense debate. Does EU law limit itself to the ‘informed consumer standard’, or should the ‘weaker’ or even the ‘vulnerable consumer standard’ be given more attention?