After an extended period in which the European Community has merely nibbled at the edges of national contract law, the bite of a 'European contract law' has lately become more pronounced. Many areas of law, from competition and consumer law to gender equality law, are now the subject of determined efforts at harmonisation, though they are perhaps often seen as peripheral to mainstream commercial contract law. Despite continuing doubts about the constitutional competence of the Commission to embark on further harmonisation in this area, European contract law is now taking shape with the Commission prompting a debate about what it might attempt. A central aspect of this book is the report of a remarkable survey carried out by the Oxford Institute of European and Comparative Law in collaboration with Clifford Chance, which sought the views of European businesses about the advantages and disadvantages of further harmonisation. The final report of this survey brings much needed empirical data to a debate that has thus far lacked clear evidence of this sort. The survey is embedded in a range of original and up-to-date essays by leading European contract scholars reviewing recent developments, questioning progress so far and suggesting areas where further analysis and research will be required

The emergence of an EU contract law is one of the most significant legal developments in Europe today. Exploring the origins and evolution of the discipline, from the Sales Directive to the Common Frame of Reference, the book advances a framework for the further harmonization of contract law that embraces diversity and pluralism.

This is a new type of book. It provides an index of the most useful and important academic and other writings on contract law, whether published in articles or journal chapters, or as books. These writings, with their full citation, are gathered under familiar contract law subject-headings, and the most significant half of them are digested in a summary of a few lines each. The book aims to cover all writings published in the English language about the Common Law of contracts, and includes sections on contract theory and the history of contract law, as well as sections for the more traditional substantive topics (such as the interpretation of contracts, penalty clauses, remoteness of damage and anticipatory breach). This work should prove an invaluable resource for practitioners, academics and students, increasing awareness of important writings, and saving readers time by familiarising them with the work that has already been done in their particular fields.

This particular report from the European Union Committee (HLP 95, ISBN 9780108444364) considers the proposal for a Draft Common Frame of Reference in respect of European contract law. The Draft contains principles, definitions and model rules in the form of a code covering wide areas of Civil Law. The Committee notes some significant issues relating to the general approach the Draft adopts, along with differences between the model rules set out in the Draft and the provisions of English common law. The Committee remains opposed to a harmonised code of European contract law and does not believe the European Commission has a useful role in promoting or developing an alternative set of contractual terms for use by contracting parties. It believes one way forward may be for the Commission to identify particular key areas that give difficulty under existing Community law or are likely to require legislative intervention. The Committee recognises the value of the Draft as an academic work by presenting useful material for discussion and can act as an aid to the mutual understanding of the diverse legal systems represented in the European Union.

Over the last 30 years, the evolution of acquis communautaire in consumer law and harmonising soft law proposals have utterly transformed the landscape of European contract law. The initial enthusiasm and approval for the EU programme has waned and, post Brexit, it currently faces increasing criticism over its effectiveness. In this collection, leading academics assess the project and ask if such judgements are fair, and suggest how harmonisation in the field might be better achieved. This book looks at the uniform rules in the context of: the internal market; national legislators and courts; bridging the gap between common and civil law; and finally their influence on non-member states. Critical and rigorous, it provides a timely and unflinching critique of one of the most important fields of harmonisation in the European Union.

The topic of harmonisation of European private law, and European contract law in particular, is rapidly gaining in importance. The topic is not only widely studied by academics and students all over Europe (and even beyond), it is also on the political agenda of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council. The most important achievement in this field is no doubt the Principles of European Contract Law (PECL), drafted by the Commission on European Contract Law. The European Commission considers the PECL to be a serious option for further harmonisation of European contract law within the European Union. This publication is the first to provide a systematic overview of the PECL in comparison with Dutch contract law as a whole. The book is concise and because of its structure it is easily accessible. Amongst the contributors there are many highly distinguished contract law specialists. It may be used at universities in courses on Comparative Law, European Private Law, and European Contract Law. It may also be used by international practitioners, foreign students, and academics interested in Dutch contract law who do not have access to Dutch contract law because they have no knowledge of the Dutch language. Last but not least, the book will be of interest to all jurists interested in the harmonisation of the European Private Law.

This volume tests the claim that, as combinations of Civil and Common Law influences, the mixed systems of contract law in Scotland and South Africa have anticipated the content of the Principles of European Contract Law (PECL) concluded and published in 2003 by the unofficial Commission on European Contract Law. Going further, it rigorously explores what the implications of a Europe-wide contract law would be. The current official moves towards a European contract law within the European Union make the critiques of PECL in this volume especially urgent and significant. With a European contract law nearer to reality than ever before, mere policy critiques are no longer enough. This book provides the essential technical and substantive assessments of PECL from the perspective of Scots and South African contract lawyers, and is offered to the European debate without prejudice as to the deeper policy questions. At the same time, this volume will inform Scots and South African lawyers about the substance of international developments in the field, and suggest ways to develop their still vigorous and vital national laws to remain in step with the needs of the present day.

The Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR) is just published. Now the creation of the final Common Frame of Reference (CFR) is one of the most important issues in the field of European Private Law. The volume discusses the key question as to what extent the CFR can and should reflect existing EC Contract Law, and to what extent the DCFR has already incorporated the acquis communautaire. The contributions to this volume try to provide answers to this question by analyzing different controversial areas such as the conclusion and content of the contract (pre-contractual duties, non-discrimination or withdrawal), non-performance, remedies, damages and the relation to International Private Law.

Against the background of the creation of an EU-wide frame of reference for private law relevant to the Common Market, this study, which was requested by the EU Commission, analyses the dovetailing between contract and tort law on the one hand, and between contract and property law on the other. The study examines the legal orders of almost all the Member States of the EU, illustrates the differences between contractual and non-contractual liability and evaluates the different systems of the transfer of property, of movable and immovable securities as well as trust law. The study comes to the conclusion that the intensive considerations on the creation of a model-law in the area of European private law do not allow these thoughts to be limited to contract law. Such a limitation to the scope of the regarding of this area would probably cause more problems than it would solve, or at any rate not do justice to the needs of the Common Market.

The Yearbook of Consumer Law provides a valuable outlet for high quality scholarly work which tracks developments in the consumer law field with a domestic, regional and international dimension. Furthermore, it provides an essential resource for all those, academic and practitioner, working in the areas of consumer law and policy.