The European Commission convened a group of legal experts to seek solutions in the field of contract law
Posted by Manuel Casal | Section "European Contract Law"
The European Commission has made public through a press release, calling a group of legal experts to seek solutions in the field of contract law with the aim of promoting cross-border trade and strengthen the rights of consumers, who will study ways to improve contract law in the European Union. The group of 18 experts in contract law, lawyers and consumer representatives met proppassat 21 May in Brussels, for the first time. Next summer, the Commission will launch a public consultation on the most appropriate way to improve the coherence of contract law in the EU. The European Parliament and the Council participate as observers in meetings of the Group.
On 26 April 2010 the European Commission created a Group of Experts to establish a common frame of reference in the field of European contract law (Commission Decision 2010/233/UE), which will meet once a month until May 2011 and brings together scholars from law, to legal practitioners who use daily contract law as lawyers and notaries, as well as consumer and business representatives.
The Commission is working to remove obstacles to the single European market through its Europe 2020 strategy, in particular by offering harmonized solutions for consumer contracts, standard contract terms across the EU and progress in the coherence of European contract law.
A possible solution could be an optional European contract law (the "System 28"). For example, an Irish retailer negotiates with a French supplier that is not familiar with French law could opt for European law for the purposes of the contract, or a consumer who buys Polish internet could press a button on the page and choose a contract adapted European contract law, which will ensure a high level of protection as consumers.
The Commission also published a guidance document and summer will launch a public consultation on the best way forward in terms of contract law in Europe, was to last until late January 2011 and to tackle cross-border problems which is faced by consumers and businesses and their remedies.
The panel comprises the following members:
Ms. Susanne Czech, European E-commerce and Mail Order Trade Association
Professor Fernando Gomez, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
Grynbaum Professor Luc, Université Paris-Descartes
Professor Torgny Håstad, Justiteråd Högsta domstolen, Stockholm
Professor Martijn W. Hesselink, University of Amsterdam
Professor Miklos Kiraly, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Professor Irene Kull, Faculty of Law, Tartu
Maître Pierre Leveque, avocat au Barreau de Paris
Professor Paulo Mota Pinto, Universidade de Coimbra
Professor Jerzy Pisulinski, Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Mr. Bob Schmitz, European Consumer Consultative Group, Luxembourg
Professor Hans Schulte-Nölke, European Legal Studies Institute, Osnabrück
Professor Jules Stuyck, avocat au Barreau de Bruxelles
Professor Anna Veneziano, Università degli Studi di Teramo
Maître Ioana Lambrini Vidican, Notary, Bucharest
Professor Simon Whittaker, Oxford University
Professor Hugh Beale, University of Warwick
Professor Eric Clive, University of Edinburgh
Tags: Europe
