Is the DCFR ready to be adopted as an Optional Instrument?
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Marisaria Maugeri
Abstract
The paper intends to show why the DCFR is not yet ready to be adopted as an Optional Instrument. The author explains her reasoning by examining the solutions adopted by the DCFR on standard contract terms and on unfair contract terms and unfair exploitation in contracts between businesses. The first point made by the author is that there are a lot of general provisions and open-ended concepts. The second point is that some legal options may, actually, produce consequences incoherent with the declared aim. The third refers to the fact that the project does not even attempt to solve some longstanding ambiguities. The fourth, and last point, regards the fact that with the opt-in system, the protection of the ‘weak’ business is not effective and, therefore, it does not succeed in the aim of harmonization.
Résumé
Cet article souhaite montrer pourquoi le projet de CCR n'est pas encore prêt à être adopté comme un instrument optionnel. L'auteur explique son raisonnement en examinant les solutions adoptées par ce projet sur les clauses-types et sur les clauses abusives dans les contrats entre professionnels. Le premier point de l'auteur est qu'il y a un grand nombre de dispositions générales et de concepts ouverts. Le second point est que quelques options légales peuvent, en réalité, produire des conséquences incohérentes avec le but affiché. Le troisième se réfère au fait que le projet n'essaye même pas de résoudre quelques ambiguïtés de longue date. Le quatrième et dernier point concerne le fait qu'avec le système de l'opt-in, la protection de la partie professionnelle “faible” n'est pas effective et, par conséquent, celui-ci ne réussit pas à atteindre le but de l'harmonisation.
Zusammenfassung
Der Beitrag soll belegen, dass der Gemeinsame Referenzrahmen noch nicht hinreichend ausgereift ist, um als Optionales Instrument verabschiedet zu werden. Dies wird unter Rückgriff auf die Regelungen zum AGB-Recht und zum Lauterkeitsrecht illustriert. Zuerst wird auf die (zu große) Vielzahl von offenen Generalklauseln eingegangen, sodann auf eine Reihe von Regeln, die ihr erklärtes Ziel nicht erreichen. Sodann wird darauf eingegangen, dass das Projekt nicht einmal den Versuch unternimmt, einige altbekannte Zweifelsfragen zu lösen. Und zuletzt wird darauf hingewiesen, dass eine Optionslösung nicht geeignet ist, den schwächeren (wenn auch geschäftlichen) Vertragspartner zu schützen, und dass sie daher das selbst gesetzte Vereinheitlichungsziel nicht erreicht.
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
