A Competitive Approach to EU Contract Law
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Karl Riesenhuber
Abstract
From a competitive perspective, the drafting process of the DCFR and its current revision suffer from considerable defects or ‘distortions of competition’. This leads to a presumption that the (D)CFR is not the best possible solution. The defects of the ex ante-competition could arguably be remedied by an ex post-competition, and that is what the adoption of the CFR as an optional instrument (option 4) seems to promise. Closer analysis suggests, though, that it is doubtful whether option 4 will lead to regulatory competition in the first place; if it does, such competition will, again, be distorted. On these considerations, it is preferable not to adopt the (D)CFR as a legal instrument but to publish it (option 1) so as to open the floor for further discussion.
Résumé
Dans une perspective concurrentielle, le processus d'élaboration du projet de CCR et ses actuelles révisions souffrent de défauts considérables ou de “distorsions de concurrence”. Cela conduit à la présomption que le (projet de) CCR n'est pas la meilleure solution possible. On pourrait sans doute remédier aux défauts de la concurrence ex-ante par une concurrence ex-post, et c'est ce que l'adoption d'un CCR comme instrument optionnel (option 4) semble promettre. Une analyse plus minutieuse suggère pourtant qu'il est douteux que l'option 4 conduira jamais à une régulation de la concurrence ; si c'est le cas, à nouveau, une telle concurrence sera faussée. Sur ces considérations, il est préférable de ne pas adopter le (projet de) CCR en tant qu'instrument juridique, mais de le publier (option 1) de sorte à laisser la porte ouverte à de nouvelles discussions.
Zusammenfassung
Die Ausarbeitung des DCFR und ihre gegenwärtige Revision leiden an erheblichen Mängeln, die man als Wettbewerbsverzerrungen ansehen kann. Das begründet die Vermutung, dass der vorliegende DCFR und der von der Expertengruppe auszuarbeitende CFR nicht die bestmögliche Lösung darstellen. Die Defizite des ex ante-Wettbewerbs kann auch ein ex post-Wettbewerb nach Verabschiedung des CFR als optionales Instrument (Option 4) nicht heilen. Es ist schon zweifelhaft, ob ein solcher Wettbewerb überhaupt funktioniert, jedenfalls wäre er aber wiederum verzerrt. Aus diesen Gründen ist es vorzugswürdig, den (D)CFR nicht als Rechtsakt zu verabschieden, sondern zu veröffentlichen (Option 1) und damit eine weitergehende Diskussion zu ermöglichen.
Articles in the same Issue
- A Competitive Approach to EU Contract Law
- Choice, Certainty and Diversity: Why More is Less
- The Commission's 2010 Green Paper on European Contract Law: Reflections on Union Competence in Light of the Proposed Options
- European Contract Law Reform and European Consumer Law – Two Related But Distinct Regimes
- A European Civil Law – for Whom and What Should it Include? Reflections on the Scope of Application of a Future European Legal Instrument
- Is the DCFR ready to be adopted as an Optional Instrument?
- The Common Frame of Reference and the Relationship between National Law and European Law
- ‘Good-Bye Harmonisation by Directives, Hello Cross-Border only Regulation?’ – A way forward for EU Consumer Contract Law
- Policy Choices in European Consumer law: Regulation through ‘Targeted Differentiation’
- An Economic Analysis of Harmonization Regimes: Full Harmonization, Minimum Harmonization or Optional Instrument?
- Five political ideas of European contract law
- Green Paper on Policy Options for Progress Towards a European Contract Law for Consumers and Businesses What do we want?
- ‘Choice is good.’ Really?
- An Optional Instrument and Social dumping revisited
- Towards a European Contract Law through Social Dialogue
- General Conclusions
Articles in the same Issue
- A Competitive Approach to EU Contract Law
- Choice, Certainty and Diversity: Why More is Less
- The Commission's 2010 Green Paper on European Contract Law: Reflections on Union Competence in Light of the Proposed Options
- European Contract Law Reform and European Consumer Law – Two Related But Distinct Regimes
- A European Civil Law – for Whom and What Should it Include? Reflections on the Scope of Application of a Future European Legal Instrument
- Is the DCFR ready to be adopted as an Optional Instrument?
- The Common Frame of Reference and the Relationship between National Law and European Law
- ‘Good-Bye Harmonisation by Directives, Hello Cross-Border only Regulation?’ – A way forward for EU Consumer Contract Law
- Policy Choices in European Consumer law: Regulation through ‘Targeted Differentiation’
- An Economic Analysis of Harmonization Regimes: Full Harmonization, Minimum Harmonization or Optional Instrument?
- Five political ideas of European contract law
- Green Paper on Policy Options for Progress Towards a European Contract Law for Consumers and Businesses What do we want?
- ‘Choice is good.’ Really?
- An Optional Instrument and Social dumping revisited
- Towards a European Contract Law through Social Dialogue
- General Conclusions
