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

Article 12 TFEU lays down the principle according to which “consumer protection requirements shall be taken into account in defining and implementing other Union policies and activities”. Pursuant to Article 169 TFEU, in order to ensure a high level of consumer protection, the Union is required to contribute, in particular, to protecting the economic interests of consumers and to promoting their r …

Introduction

Article 12 TFEU lays down the principle according to which “consumer protection requirements shall be taken into account in defining and implementing other Union policies and activities”. Pursuant to Article 169 TFEU, in order to ensure a high level of consumer protection, the Union is required to contribute, in particular, to protecting the economic interests of consumers and to promoting their right to information. The objective is to ensure that they have real choices and to protect them against malicious professionals by guaranteeing the openness, fairness and transparency of the internal market.

Initially, in matters of consumer protection, the European legislator had chosen the technique of minimum harmonization which made it possible to coordinate the laws of the various Member States while leaving them the power to adopt more protective rules . This possibility has the disadvantage, however, of leading to national laws with significant coexisting divergences which discourage exports by reason of the need to adapt the sale of the products to the statutory specificities of each Member State and reduce consumer confidence in cross-border transactions . Thus, since 2002, a reversal of trend in favor of total harmonization of the laws of the Member States in consumer matters has been observed. Several directives show it, either specific ones like the directive concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services  or the directive on credit agreements for consumers , or general one like the directive on unfair commercial practices . This movement is confirmed with Directive No 2011/83 of 25 October 2011  which recommends maximum harmonization of the rules it gathers: contracts negotiated away from business premises , abusive clauses, distance contracts and consumer guarantees.

Among the big transversal directives in consumer matters, account is also to be taken of the directive on liability for defective products  and the directive on general product safety . At the frontier of consumer protection and public health protection, these two directives may be approximated from a number of sector-specific directives which are aimed at establishing a balance between suppression of obstacles to the free movement of goods , protection of public health and fair information of consumers. This is the case for the directive on medicinal products for human use , like previously for the directive concerning cosmetic products , recast in Regulation No 1223/2009 , and the directive on foodstuffs , now replaced by Regulation No 1169/2011 , which lay down strict rules regarding labeling  and advertising , aimed in particular at avoiding the misleading of consumers . 

See, inter alia, Directive No 84/450/EEC of 10 September 1984, repealed and replaced by Directive No 2006/114/EC of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising, OJ L 376 of 27 December 2006, 21. Directive No 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on unfair terms in consumer contracts, OJ L 95 of 21 April 1993, 29; Directive No 97/7 of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts, OJ L 144 of 4 June 1997, 19; Directive No 1999/44/EC of 25 May 1999 on certain aspects of the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees, OJ L 171 of 7 July 1999, 12. Directives No 93/13/EEC and No 1999/44/EC have been modified by Directive No 2011/83/EU of 25 October 2011, OJ L 304 of 22 November 2011, which also repeals Directive No 85/577/EEC and 97/7/EC.

Green paper on the Review of the Consumer Acquis, 8 February 2007, COM(2006)744 final.

Directive No 2001/83 of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use, OJ L 311 of 28.11.2001. - See, specifying that the directive has brough about complete harmonization, since the cases in which the Member States are authorized to adopt provisions departing from that Directive are listed expressly, Case C-374/05 Gintec [2007] ECR I-9517, LawLex200900000589JBJ.

Directive No 76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976, OJ L 262 of 27 September 1976. - See, on the principle of maximum harmonization made by that provision: Case C-99/01 Linhart and Biffl [2002] ECR I-9375, LawLex200900001220JBJ; C-365/00 Commission v Italy [2002] ECR I-2491, LawLex200900000533JBJ; C-150/88 Parfümerie-Fabrik 4711 v Provide [1989] ECR 3891, LawLex200900000595JBJ.

Directive No 2000/13/EC of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labeling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs, OJ L 109 of 6 May 2000 (abrogates and replaces Directive No 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978). - See, specifically, Article 18 allowing Member States to maintain national rules which impede the trade of foodstuffs but carry out an exhaustive harmonization of the reasons that may justify an exemption to the rules of the directive: Case C-421/00 Sterbenz and Haug [2003] ECR I-1065, LawLex200900000629JBJ; C-221/00 Commission v Austria [2003] ECR I-1007, LawLex200900001247JBJ; Comp., underlining that these exceptions only relate to labeling and not advertising: Case C-241/89 SARPP v Chambre syndicale des raffineurs et conditionneurs de sucre de France [1990] ECR I-4695, LawLex200900002061JBJ.

See regarding cosmetic products, Case C-169/99 Schwarzkopf [2001] ECR I-5901, LawLex200900000695JBJ. - See, on the language of labeling regarding foodstuffs, C-369/89 Piageme v Peeters [1991] ECR I-2971, LawLex200900000554JBJ; C-85/94 Piageme v Peeters [1995] ECR I-2955, LawLex200900001198JBJ; C-385/96 Goerres [1998] ECR I-4431, LawLex200900000618JBJ; C-33/97 Colim [1999] ECR I-3175, LawLex200700001819JBJ; C-366/98 Geffroy [2000] ECR I-6579, LawLex200700001634JBJ.

See on medicinal products for human use, Case C-320/93 Ortscheit v Eurim-Pharm [1994] ECR I-5243, LawLex200900002117JBJ; C-322/01 Deutscher Apothekerverband [2003] ECR I-14887, LawLex200900000268JBJ; C-143/06 Ludwigs-Apotheke [2007] ECR I-9623, LawLex200900000550JBJ; Case C-374/05 Gintec [2007] ECR I-9517, LawLex200900000589JBJ.

See on cosmetic products, Case C-315/92 Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb v Clinique Laboratories and Estée Lauder [1994] ECR I-317, LawLex200900002110JBJ; C-77/97 Unilever [1999] ECR I-431, LawLex200700001826JBJ; C-220/98 Estée Lauder [2000] ECR I-117, LawLex200700001612JBJ; C-99/01 Linhart and Biffl [2002] ECR I-9375, LawLex200900001220JBJ. - See on foodstuffs, Case C-241/89 SARPP v Chambre syndicale des raffineurs et conditionneurs de sucre de France [1990] ECR I-4695, LawLex200900002061JBJ; C-383/97 van der Laan [1999] ECR I-731, LawLex200700001906JBJ; C-465/98 Darbo [2000] ECR I-2297, LawLex200700001662JBJ; C-366/98 Geffroy [2000] ECR I-6579, LawLex200700001634JBJ; C-123/00 Bellamy and English Shop Wholesale [2001] ECR I-2795, LawLex200900000426JBJ; C-421/00 Sterbenz and Haug [2003] ECR I-1065, LawLex200900000629JBJ and C-221/00 Commission v Austria [2003] ECR I-1007, LawLex200900001247JBJ; C-229/01 Müller [2003] ECR I-2587, LawLex200900001298JBJ; C-239/02 Douwe Egberts [2004] ECR I-7007, LawLex200900000842JBJ.

Directive No 2002/65/EC of 23 September 2002, OJ L 271 of 9 October 2002, 16; recital 13.

Directive No 2008/48/EC of 23 April 2008, OJ L 133 of 22 May 2008, 66; Article 22. 

Directive No 2005/29/EC of 11 May 2005, OJ L 149 of 11 June 2005, 22; recital 14.

Directive No 85/577/EEC of 20 December 1985, OJ L 372 of 31 December 1985, repealed and replaced by Directive No 2011/83/EU of 25 October 2011.

Directive No 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985, OJ L 210 of 7 August 1985, 29.

Directive No 2001/95/EC of 3 December 2001, OJ L 11 of 15 January 2002, 4.

On the principle of maximum harmonization achieved by the directive: Case C-99/01 Linhart, Judgment of 24 October 2002, LawLex200900001220JBJ; Case C-365/00 Commission v Italy, Judgment of 7 March 2002, LawLex200900000533JBJ; Case C-150/88 Eau de Cologne & Parfümerie-Fabrik, Glockengasse, Judgment of 23 November 1989, LawLex200900000595JBJ.

European Business Law

209. Introduction

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Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

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Les notions juridiques connexes

209. Introduction

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Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Sous parties

Les notions juridiques connexes

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