In numerous fields of law, ranging from family law to company law, private actors increasingly set their own rules, revert to private enforcement of those rules and choose the applicable law. Within each field this tendency has already been scrutinised. Until now, however, few attempts have been made to look at these phenomena together with a view to arriving at conclusions that go beyond one specific field. This book is a first attempt to fill this gap. It is relevant for scholars and practitioners working in the individual fields of law covered (private international law, company law, family law, consumer law and commercial law) as well as for scholars and policy makers trying to grasp the overall nature of the increasing privatisation of the law.
Offers an account of ODR for consumers in the EU context, presenting a comprehensive investigation of the development of ODR for business to consumer disputes within the EU. This book examines the role of both the European legislator with the Mediation Directive and the English judiciary in encouraging the use of mediation.
Consumer protection has become a phenomenon of the past years and the combination of consumer protection and arbitration is especially sensitive. Some countries experience tens of thousands of consumer arbitrations each year while others significantly limit or even entirely exclude arbitration in consumer disputes. Many countries have undergone certain reforms in consumer disputes, the main objective of which is the protection of consumers in arbitration. The controversial variable is the degree of protection to be afforded to the consumer, both under the applicable substantive law and in procedural terms. These are the main issues addressed in this book. Apart from the key topic, the author has extensively elaborated on certain fundamental categories such as public interest and public policy (all primarily in connection to the procedural mechanisms of consumer protection); he has also analyzed the applicable European law and the case law of the ECJ and offered an overview of the individual systems employed in both European and non-European countries (especially the USA and Canada). An integral part of this book is an extensive comparison and analysis of the voluminous case law (several tens of decisions), with reference to more than three hundred other available court decisions. The book also focuses on the position of the consumer in the individual procedural stages, the intervention of courts in arbitration motivated by consumer protection, the individual stages of proceedings, recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards rendered in consumer disputes, both in domestic context and in the international milieu etc. The international practice significantly influences the domestic environment in the individual countries. The key issue in the EU countries is, in principle, the enforcement of EU standards which influence the domestic models of consumer protection, primarily in connection with the autonomous EU interpretation of a number of institutions. Many related issues have not yet been addressed in the case law of certain states. In fact, some of them have never even been discovered. Besides, the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards requires, inter alia, the compliance with extra-EU international obligations binding on the individual states. And finally, arbitration is not regulated by the EU law, as opposed to consumer protection. Naturally, arbitration is to a significant extent regulated by international law. This results in conflicts between national, international interpretation and interpretation pursuant to the EU law, where the circumstances allow to apply the EU law. This book is intended for all readers who have any experience with enforcement of consumer rights, as well as for all professionals dealing with arbitration in general. It is therefore intended for general legal practitioners, lawyers, primarily arbitrators, of course, but also for judiciary dealing with civil matters in the broadest sense. Apart from a voluminous case law, the book quotes from a number of domestic and foreign sources and, above all, offers a long list of structured bibliography and detailed subject index, as well as a table of states, table of cases and list of legal sources. It is therefore not only an important tool for the practice, but also a useful instrument for academics (lawyers as well as other professionals).
This is the first systematic comparative study into how consumer ADR systems (usually ombudsmen and médiateurs) work, the differing national architectures within which they operate and how they can be improved. It describes ADR schemes in Belgium, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom as well as emerging pan-EU dispute resolution schemes. Use of the techniques of mediation, conciliation and adjudication are noted. It also covers EU measures on consumer ADR, and 2011 proposals for legislation on ADR and ODR. Data on volumes, cost and duration of ADR schemes are compared, both between different systems and with courts. The authors' findings underpin EU and national developments, and outline options for future policy. Findings and proposals are included for the functions, scope, performance, essential requirements, architecture and operation of ADR systems. The relationships between ADR, courts and regulators are discussed, and need for reforms are noted. This is a ground-breaking work that will have a major impact on European legal systems. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.
This open access volume of the AIDA Europe Research Series on Insurance Law and Regulation offers the first comprehensive legal and regulatory analysis of the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD). The IDD came into force on 1 October 2018 and regulates the distribution of insurance products in the EU. The book examines the main changes accompanying the IDD and analyses its impact on insurance distributors, i.e., insurance intermediaries and insurance undertakings, as well as the market. Drawing on interrelations between the rules of the Directive and other fields that are relevant to the distribution of insurance products, it explores various topics related to the interpretation of the IDD - e.g. the harmonization achieved under it; its role as a benchmark for national legislators; and its interplay with other regulations and sciences - while also providing an empirical analysis of the standardised pre-contractual information document. Accordingly, the book offers a wealth of valuable insights for academics, regulators, practitioners and students who are interested in issues concerning insurance distribution.--
The book focusses on the enforcement of consumer law in order to identify commonalities and best practices across nations. It is composed of twenty-eight contributions from national rapporteurs to the IACL Congress in Montevideo in 2016 and the introductory comparative general report. The national contributors are drawn from across the globe, with representation from Africa (1), Asia (5), Europe (15), Oceania (2) and the Americas (5). The general report proposes a general introduction to the question of enforcement and effectiveness of consumer law. It then proceeds to identify the variety of ways in which national legislatures approach this question and the diversity of mechanisms put in place to address it. The general report uses examples drawn from the reports to illustrate common approaches and to identify more original or distinct unique approaches, taking into account the reported strengths and weaknesses of each. The general report consistently points readers to particular national reports on specific issues, inviting readers to consult these individual contributions for more details. The national contributions deal with the following areas: the national legal framework for consumer protection, the general design of the enforcement mechanism, the number and characteristics of consumer complaints and disputes, the use of courts and specialized agencies for the enforcement of consumer law, the role of consumer organizations and of private regulation in the enforcement of consumer law, the place of collective redress mechanism and of alternative dispute resolution modes, the sanctions for breaches of consumer law and the nature of external relations or cooperation with other countries or international organizations. These enriching national and international perspectives offer a comprehensive overview of the current state of consumer law around the globe.
Raising a series of questions on resolving mass disputes, and fuelling future debate, this book will provide a challenging and thought-provoking read for law academics, practitioners and policy-makers.
This book provides an overview of recent and future legal developments concerning the digital era, to examine the extent to which law has or will further evolve in order to adapt to its new digitalized context. More specifically it focuses on some of the most important legal issues found in areas directly connected with the Internet, such as intellectual property, data protection, consumer law, criminal law and cybercrime, media law and, lastly, the enforcement and application of law. By adopting this horizontal approach, it highlights – on the basis of analysis and commentary of recent and future EU legislation as well as of the latest CJEU and ECtHR case law – the numerous challenges faced by law in this new digital era. This book is of great interest to academics, students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers specializing in Internet law, data protection, intellectual property, consumer law, media law and cybercrime as well as to judges dealing with the application and enforcement of Internet law in practice.
Traditionally, consumer law has played an instrumental role in the EU as a tool for market integration. There are now signs in the new EU legal framework and jurisprudence that this may be changing. The Lisbon Treaty contains provisions affecting consumer law and, at the same time, it grants binding legal force to the EU Charter, which in turn adds a fundamental rights dimension to consumer protection. This evolution, however, is still at an early stage and may be thwarted by conflicting trends. Moreover, it may generate tensions between social objectives and economic goals. This book provides the first comprehensive analysis of these developments and examines new avenues that may be opening for consumer law, focusing on three key areas: financial services, electronic communication and access to justice. Through a systematic analysis of relevant cases, the book traces the development of a human rights dimension in consumer law and details the ramifications that the post-Lisbon legal framework may have on consumer protection and policy. This book concludes by proposing new directions in consumer law, striking a compromise between social and economic demands.
