European Unfairness and American Unconscionability: A Letter From a European Lawyer to American Friends
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Anne-Lise Sibony
Abstract
The Unfair Contract Terms Directive (UCTD) and the Common Law doctrine of unconscionability in the United States both pursue the same aim: they seek to protect consumers against abuse of power by traders who are in a position to exploit the asymmetry of the contracting process. However, both sets of rules rest on different premises. In particular, they allocate trust differently between courts and markets. This accounts for deep-running differences despite apparent similarities. This contribution analyses these similarities and differences by commenting on the unconscionability doctrine as expressed in the Draft Restatement of consumer contracts from a European point of view.
Résumé
La directive sur les clauses abusives et la Common Law des États-Unis visent toutes deux le même objectif en matière de clauses abusives: empêcher que les professionnels n’abusent du pouvoir que leur confère l’asymétrie de la relation contractuelle. Toutefois, les deux corps de règles procèdent de prémisses différentes. En particulier, les deux systèmes répartissent différemment la confiance qu’ils accordent respectivement au juge et au marché. De là découlent des différences d’approche assez profondes en dépit d’apparentes similarités. La présente contribution analyse ces similarités et ces différences en commentant à partir du droit européen des clauses abusives la doctrine exprimée dans le projet de Restatement du droit américain des contrats de consommation.
Zusammenfassung
Die EG-Klausel-Richtlinie 93/13 ebenso wie das Konzept des US-Common Law von der ‘unconscionability’ (Sittenwidrigkeit / Unzumutbarkeit) verfolgen beide das gleiche Ziel – namentlich den Schutz von Verbrauchern vor Anbietern, die ihre überlegene Verhandlungsmacht missbräuchlich ausüben. Beide Normregime gehen jedoch von unterschiedlichen Prämissen aus. Insbesondere setzen sie für Ihr Schutzkonzept in unterschiedlichem Maße auf Markt- oder aber auf gerichtliche Kontrolle und Kräfte. Hierin liegt auch der Grund für tiefgreifende Unterschiede – trotz vordergründiger Vergleichbarkeit. Der vorliegende Beitrag behandelt diese Parallelen ebenso wie die Unterschiede, indem er das Konzept des US-Common Law von der ‘unconscionability’ in der Form, die ihm das Restatement gibt, aus der Perspektive Europäischen Rechtsdenkens analysiert.
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Omri Ben-Shahar, Florencia Marotta-Wurgler, Hans Schute-Nölke, Hans-W. Micklitz, Stéphanie Francq, Paul Marrow and Fabrizio Esposito for their comments on an earlier draft. The usual disclaimers apply.
© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- The American Law Institute’s Restatement of Consumer Contracts: Reporters’ Introduction
- Incorporation of Standard Contract Terms on Websites
- Business First. A Comment on the Adoption of Standard Terms under the American Restatement of the Law Consumer Contracts from a European Union Perspective
- A Modern Standard Contract Terms Law from Reasonable Assent to Enhanced Fairness Control
- Core versus Non-Core Terms and Legal Controls over Consumer Contract Terms: (Bad) Lessons from Europe?
- European Unfairness and American Unconscionability: A Letter From a European Lawyer to American Friends
- Beyond Consumer Law – Small Enterprises, Independent Contractors and other Professional Weak Parties
- EU Legislation
- European Union Legislation and Actions
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- The American Law Institute’s Restatement of Consumer Contracts: Reporters’ Introduction
- Incorporation of Standard Contract Terms on Websites
- Business First. A Comment on the Adoption of Standard Terms under the American Restatement of the Law Consumer Contracts from a European Union Perspective
- A Modern Standard Contract Terms Law from Reasonable Assent to Enhanced Fairness Control
- Core versus Non-Core Terms and Legal Controls over Consumer Contract Terms: (Bad) Lessons from Europe?
- European Unfairness and American Unconscionability: A Letter From a European Lawyer to American Friends
- Beyond Consumer Law – Small Enterprises, Independent Contractors and other Professional Weak Parties
- EU Legislation
- European Union Legislation and Actions
