European Business Law, the fourth volume in our series, shows how the European authorities simultaneously abolish all restrictions on access to and exercise of economic activities and support the growth of domestic markets, through the harmonization the internal legislation or the enactment of genuinely unified regulations.

European Business Law

Often relied on by the Member States to justify hindering the free movement of goods, consumer protection is rarely successful in the European courts since, in most cases, the objective could be reached by means that are less restrictive than a direct or indirect restriction on imports . Although a national law may restrict the use of a generic term to one national variety alone to the detriment o …

Consumer protection

Often relied on by the Member States to justify hindering the free movement of goods, consumer protection is rarely successful in the European courts since, in most cases, the objective could be reached by means that are less restrictive than a direct or indirect restriction on imports . Although a national law may restrict the use of a generic term to one national variety alone to the detriment of other varieties produced in other Member States in order to take account of national consumers' habits, that measure is unjustified where such a protection may be provided by other means enabling national and imported products to be treated alike, such as the compulsory affixing of suitable labels giving the nature of the product sold .

The objective of consumer protection is mostly used as a justification for regulations that prohibit unfair commercial practices likely to mislead an average reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect consumer . The risk of misleading consumers must however be sufficiently serious to justify the restriction to the free movement of goods that are lawfully marketed in another Member State . National legislation may thus prohibit the offering or giving of free gifts and require the existence of a relationship between the consumption of the free gift and the product sold where that commercial practice may mislead consumers on the real prices of products and distort the conditions on which genuine competition is based . It is also possible to require that the products be sold in the consumer's language or in a language that he easily understands . That obligation must however be restricted to information which the Member State makes mandatory and which cannot be appropriately conveyed to consumers by means other than translation .

The affixing of a neutral and objective label giving the nature and characteristics of the product sold sufficiently informs consumers . Therefore a national law cannot require the use of a particular form of packaging , a generic term or designation  or a particular sign , or prohibit the packaging from bearing the mention “+ 10%” . A national rule also cannot prohibit mail-order sales undertakings from making eye-catching advertising using price comparisons where they are true, even if the advertising refers to a higher price shown in an early catalogue or sales brochure and there is an eye-catching display of the new price .

Relying on consumer protection should become less frequent since European harmonization has developed much in that field where certain directives even provide for full harmonization .

On the requirement of proportionality, See Case C-390/99 Canal Satélite Digital [2002] ECR I-607, LawLex200900000649JBJ.

Case 193/80 Commission v Italy [1981] ECR 3019, LawLex200900001639JBJ.

Case C-238/89 Pall v Dahlhausen [1990] ECR I-4827, LawLex200900002063JBJ, marketing of a product bearing the letter R in a circle next to a trade mark.

Case C-470/93 Verein gegen Unwesen in Handel und Gewerbe Köln v Mars [1995] ECR I-1923, LawLex200900000968JBJ.

Case C-126/91 Schutzverband gegen Unwesen i.d. Wirtschaft v Rocher [1993] ECR I-2361, LawLex200900000431JBJ; See, also, on the consumer's right to withdrawal from a distance sale: Case C-205/07 Gysbrechts and Santurel Inter, LawLex200900001109JBJ.

Directive No 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market, OJ L 149 of 11 June 2005; Council Directive No 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning liability for defective products, OJ L 141 of 4 June 1999. - For examples of minimum harmonization: Directive No 2006/114/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising, OJ L 376 of 27 December 2006; Council Directive No 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on unfair terms in consumer contracts, OJ L 95 of 21 April 1993; Directive No 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the Protection of Consumers in respect of Distance Contracts, OJ L 144 of 4 June 1997; Directive No 99/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 on certain aspects of the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees, OJ L 171 of 7 July 1999.

Case C-362/88 GB-INNO-BM v Confédération du Commerce Luxembourgeois [1990] ECR I-667, LawLex200900000517JBJ; Case C-220-98 Estée Lauder [2000] ECR I-117, LawLex200700001612JBJ.

Case C-313/94 Graffione v Ditta Fransa [1996] ECR I-6039, LawLex200900002161JBJ.

Case 286/81 Oosthoek [1982] ECR 4575, LawLex200900001497JBJ.

Case C-85/94 Piageme v Peeters [1995] ECR I-2955, LawLex200900001198JBJ, which considers that the requirement to use the language which is that most widely spoken in the area where the product is sold is stricter than the obligation to use a language easily understood; See along the same lines: Case C-369/89 Piageme v Peeters [1991] ECR I-2971, LawLex200900000554JBJ.

Case 382/87 Buet and others v Ministère public [1989] ECR 1235, LawLex201100000335JBJ; Case C-33/97 Colim [1999] ECR I-3175, LawLex200700001819JBJ; See, also, Case C-51/93 Meyhui v Schott Zwiesel Glaswerke [1994] ECR I-3879, LawLex200900001014JBJ.

Case 193/80 Commission v Italy [1981] ECR 3019, LawLex200900001639JBJ; Case 261/81 Rau v De Smedt [1982] ECR 3961, LawLex200900001788JBJ; Case 178-84 Commission v Germany [1987] ECR 1227, LawLex200900001618JBJ; Case 76-86 Commission v Germany [1989] ECR 1021, LawLex200900002335JBJ; Case C-24/00 Commission v France [2004] ECR I-1277, LawLex200900000891JBJ; Case C-12/00 Commission v Spain [2003] ECR I-459, LawLex200900000407JBJ; Case C-147/04 De Groot en Slot Allium and Bejo Zaden [2006] ECR I-245, LawLex200900000579JBJ.  See, also, for products containing a label in accordance with EU standards: Case C-383/97 van der Laan [1999] ECR I-731, LawLex200700001906JBJ.

Case 261/81 Rau v De Smedt [1982] ECR 3961, LawLex200900001788JBJ.

Case 12/74 Commission v Germany [1975] ECR 181, LawLex200900001508JBJ; Case 193/80 Commission v Italy [1981] ECR 3019, LawLex200900001639JBJ; Case 178/84 Commission v Germany [1987] ECR 1227, LawLex200900001618JBJ; Case 298-87 Smanor [1988] ECR 4489, LawLex200900001810JBJ; Case C-315/92 Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb v Clinique Laboratories and Estée Lauder [1994] ECR I-317, LawLex200900002110JBJ; Case C-12/00 Commission v Spain [2003] ECR I-459, LawLex200900000407JBJ; Case C-166/03 Commission v France [2004] ECR I-6535, LawLex200900000662JBJ; Case C-147/04 De Groot en Slot Allium and Bejo Zaden [2006] ECR I-245, LawLex200900000579JBJ. See, however, Case C-220/98 Estée Lauder [2000] ECR I-117, LawLex200700001612JBJ, which accepts the prohibition by national legislation on the importation and marketing of a cosmetic product whose name incorporates the term “lifting” where the name implies that the product possesses characteristics which it does not have.

European Business Law

42. Consumer protection

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Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Les notions juridiques connexes

42. Consumer protection

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Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Les notions juridiques connexes

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