Consumer Protection Law & Policy in Europe

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

• providing the students with basic knowledge necessary to understand the present role of consumer law in the European Union, as well as development of modern consumer policies
• providing the students with basic knowledge necessary to understand the scope of the application of the selected provisions of the European consumer law

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Students attending the course are expected to be familiar with basic legal (civil and public law) concepts.

Syllabus

Week 1: Basic definitions and concepts (e.g. “consumer”, “customer”, “consumption”, “consumerism”).
Week 2: The economics of consumer law (information asymmetry, homo oeconomicus passivus, pro-sumer)
Week 3: Historical development of consumer protection policies (national, EU-wide and international aspects).
Week 4: Sources of EU consumer law (development, systematic approach)
Week 5: EU consumer policy – development and fundamental sources
Week 6: Consumer contracts (e.g. doorstep selling, distance selling, e-commerce)
Week 7: Sectoral provisions (e.g. travel/passengers, financial services)
Week 8: Liability for defective products
Week 9: Unfair B2C practices
Week 10: Enforcement of EU consumer law / Institutional aspects

Reading list

P. Rott, H.-W. Micklitz, N. Reich, Understanding EU Consumer Law, Intersentia 2009
N. Reich, H.-W. Micklitz, Europäisches Verbraucherrecht, 4th ed, Baden-Baden 2003
S. Weatherill, EU Consumer Law and Policy, Cheltenham 2005
T. Bourgoignie, Eléments pour une théorie du droit de la consummation, Bruxelles 1988
T. Bourgoignie, D. M. Trubek, Consumer law, common markets, and federalism, Berlin 1987
G. Howells, S. Weatherill, Consumer Protection Law, 2th ed., Hampshire 2005
L. Thévenoz, N. Reich (ed.), Droit de la consummation. Konsumentenrecht. Consumer law, Gen?ve 2006
European Courts Judgements (Eur-Lex)