Memo: Contract law: Commission considers way forward

As part of the EU's action to tackle bottlenecks in the Single Market and to boost growth, the European Commission carried out a public consultation on bringing more coherence to contract laws in Europe in the period October-December 2010 – the rules that apply to businesses and consumers buying and selling goods or services.

The Commission will now examine the 181 responses received so far and evaluate all policy options on the basis of the results. A Commission proposal will be made in the autumn of 2011. The goal is to make it easier and less costly for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to do business abroad and to enable consumers to reap the full benefit of the Single Market while maintaining or improving their protection.

In April 2011 the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee approved a report that favoured the elaboration of an optional European Contract Law.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Justice and Consumers: Consumer rights and law http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_rights/index_en.htm

European Parliament: Press Release, 12.4.11:Cross-border trade: Legal Affairs Committee backs EU contract law plan http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20110411IPR17419/html/Cross-border-trade-Legal-Affairs-Committee-backs-EU-contract-law-plan

European Commission: RAPID: MEMO/11/236: European Commission welcomes European Parliament committee vote in support of an optional European Contract Law http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/236&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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