Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Consumer protection – Law and legislation – Germany'

Consumer protection policy measures can enable consumer behaviour shifts in favour of more sustainable choices. Whilst government is responsible for developing consumer protection policy in a particular country, business is central in the implementation of such policy. In South Africa, there is disassociation in consumer protection policy and environmental policy where consumer protection policy is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry, whilst sustainability is located under the Department of Environmental Affairs. As a result, South African consumer protection policy does not holistically incorporate sustainability. A six-step qualitative research process was adopted to develop a framework to implement sustainability into consumer protection policies. First, a theoretical framework for incorporating sustainability into consumer protection policy was developed to structure the qualitative research. Four dimensions for incorporating sustainability into consumer protection were then identified. Qualitative data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire and also content analysis of existing data. Two sets of experts further reviewed and critiqued the proposed framework. The results of the qualitative enquiry, in particular, showed that for all the countries examined, some at least had sustainability consideration elements in their policies, but this was evident to a lesser extent in African countries, particularly those with less-developed economies. On the other hand, policy mechanisms that promoted sustainability were more evident in the policies and laws of developed countries. In the case of most African countries, basic needs were foregrounded as the primary concerns of consumers, ahead of sustainability concerns. Further, poverty limited consumer choices, particularly if more sustainably produced and eco-efficient goods came at a higher price. The research also underscored the importance and centrality of consumer education and stakeholder engagement for achieving sustainability policy intentions. It further confirmed that the basic needs of poor consumers in South Africa, and the impact of poverty on sustainability policy intentions must underpin the proposed framework. Factors that created an enabling environment for the implementation of the framework were identified as policy harmonisation within government policy domains, joined-up government, good corporate governance and shared value that considered the needs of future generations and consumer education. These factors would create an enabling environment for policy implementation. Consumer policy could play a key role in the choices that consumers make and, if well-designed and implemented, could direct consumer spending in support of the goal of sustainability and sustainable consumption. The proposed framework provides a foundation on which to futher refine and develop consumer protection policy that incorporates the well-being of consumers and social justice. Using consumer spending to drive sustainability requires a deliberate intention on the part of policy makers to move away from the more conventional framing of consumer policy, which has tended to focus on the economic interests of consumers, such as price, quality, choice and redress. However, modern business is shifting towards a more holistic conceptualisation of sustainability, as a value that needs to be deliberately and consciously built into the design and essence of a business. Doing so is not only good corporate citizenship, but offers a competitive advantage, which could drive product demand and attract consumers.

The thesis covers the field of the contract law known as the consumer credit law. It deals with the legal protection afforded to the consumer under current South African law with emphasis on the legal position in specific credit agreements contained in standard-form contracts. The thesis focuses on those credit contracts in which the legal relationship between the consumer and the dominant party is contained in the standard-form contracts, specifically credit agreements relating to money lending transactions in which the credit grantor’s rights are secured either by means of mortgage agreement, a suretyship contract, or a deed of cession. In South Africa the right to equality and human dignity, as opposed to the classical theories of contract: pacta sunt servanda and the principle of freedom of contract, are supported by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996 which entrenched democratic values permeating all areas of the law including contract law. In this thesis the harmonisation of these classical theories of contract law and the constitutional values of human dignity and equality have been considered. As has been shown in a number of cases, notably those relating to the contracts of suretyship, cession in securitatem debiti, and mortgage, the current law regulating the relationship between the credit grantors and the credit receivers is in need of law reform to fall in line with the constitutional values of equality and human dignity. The greatest difficulty inherent in this area of the law is the reluctance of the courts to intervene at the instance of consumers. The courts would only intervene in the clearest of the cases, and would only do so in the public interest. In this thesis the current South African Law is considered in the light of the developments elsewhere. The tendency of credit providers to alter the terms of the contracts unilaterally and the growing number of conflicting decisions of the Provincial Divisions of High Court has also been considered. The writer also considers the role of the newly created Consumer Affairs Court.

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an attempt at reconciling the existing (and until recently predominant) private law concept of ownership and the property rights espoused by the new constitutional order. The attempts at land reform in South Africa and Germany are used as specifie examples of the manner in which the whole property law order in both these legal systems is developed through legislative and judicial initiative, on the basis of the constitutional provisions concerning property protection and regulation. The purpose of the investigation is to determine to what extent constitutional development of the private law of property will result in a property law order serving the socio-economic and political goals of economic growth and self-fulfilment and empowerment of the individual. Focus is placed on the influence of the constitutional protection and regulation of property as a mechanism for developing the private law of ownership in Germany and South Africa. In the first part of the exposition, the choice of legal comparison as course of inquiry is substantiated, and the terminological difficulties connected with an investigation into the development of the private law of property by the constitutional protection and regulation of property are discussed. Attention is given to the use of the terms "ownership" and "property" in the private law and in the constitutional context. The term "tenure" is also discussed in the context of land reform in South Africa. Further, the usc of terms such as "public interest", "common weal" and "public purposes" is discussed. The use of these terms are particularly complicated by the fact that each of them are often used in more than one sense, and that the use of these di fferent terms overlap to varying extents. The second part of the exposition contains information on the background of the constitutional property orders as they arc found in Germany and South Africa. The drafting histories of the South African and German constitutional property clauses indicate that in both these legal systems, the constitutional property clauses have hybrid ideological foundations. Both contain a compromise between, on the one hand, classical liberalism (which affords the holders of rights a high degree of individual freedom and autonomy) and, on the other hand, social democracy (which allow stronger regulatory measures, also upon private properly). Further, some of the structural aspects connected to constitutional protection and regulation of property in Germany and South Africa are discussed. The positively phrased property guarantee in art 14 GG is compared with the negatively phrased "guarantee" of s 25 Fe, whereby the transitional property guarantee in s 28 JC is also considered. Further, the basic structure and stages of an inquiry into the constitutional property clause are discussed, with reference to differences between the German and South African methods. These differences are not of such a nature that it excludes further comparison. Ilowever, it is necessary to keep the differences in the judicial system in mind when conducting a comparison of the present nature. Therefore, a brief overview of the judicial systems of Germany and South Africa is provided, with specific reference to the manner in which the courts resolved certain property questions. The principles underlying the constitutional orders of Germany and South Africa are also discussed with specific reference to their significance for the treatment of property issues. In particular, the meaning of the constitutional state (Rechtsstaat) and the social wei fare state (Sozialstaat) for the solution of problems connected to property is discussed. It is indicated that the legitimacy of the legal order in general and property law in particular, depends on the degree of success in the implementation of these values. Further, it is indicated that the implementation of these values also determines the importance of private property and/or regulation thereof in a specific legal system. In the third part of the exposition, the relevance of the constitutional protection and regulation for the private law of ownership is discussed. The expansion of the concept of property by the application of a "purely" constitutional definition thereof raises the question as to the continued relevance of the private law concept of ownership. This issue is discussed with reference to the protection of property in terms of the constitution in comparison with the scope of property in private law. It is indicated that the "exclusively constitutional" concept of property is by no means based only on Constitutional law. The role of the private law concept of ownership in a constitutional order is then elucidated. The discussion then turns to an analysis of the limitations on property endorsed by the constitutional order. Two main kinds of limitation are possible: (i) limitation of property through vertical operation of the constitution (ie a broad category of legislative and administrative deprivation (regulation), and a more specialised category, namely expropriations), and (ii) limitation through horizontal operation of the constitution (ie through the inroads allowed on property rights by the protection of other rights in the Bill of Rights). It is indicated that the application of the public interest / public purposes requirements are sometimes intended to protect individual interest above those of society in general. In other cases, the public interest / public purposes requirement is aimed at securing the interests of the society at large. Further, it is indicated that the purpose of constitutional "interference" in the area of private property law is to correct imbalances in the relations among private persons which are regarded by the law as "equals," even if they are not equal for all practical purposes. The fourth part of the exposition concentrates on the land reform programmes in Germany (after the reunification of 1990) and South Africa (since 1991) in order to analyse the attempts by the legislature and judiciary to give effect to the improved property order as anticipated by constitutional development of property. In both Germany and South Africa political changes made land reform programmes essential: In South Africa the land reform programme was introduced to reverse the injustices created by colonialism and apartheid. A tripartite programme is employed for this purpose. The new kinds of land rights created through this system of land reform are indicated. The manner in which this body of law is treated by the courts is also analysed with reference to its relevance for the development of Property Law in general. In Germany a property and land reform programme became necessary with the reunification. On the one hand, the socialist property order in the former GDR had to be replaced by the property order already existing in the FGR, and on the other hand the individual claims for restitution of the land and enterprises taken by the GDR state or its Soviet predecessor had to be balanced against the claims that present occupiers of such land have to it. The influence of legislation and litigation connected to these issues on the development of Property Law is discussed. The final part of the exposition is a summary of the conclusions drawn during the course of the analysis.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 'n poging om in hierdie uiteensetting die bestaande (en tot onlangs nog oorheersende) privaatregtelike begrip "eiendom" te versoen met die breër eiendomsbegrip wat deur die nuwe grondwetlike bestel gepropageer word, word die grondhervormingsprogramme in Suid Afrika en Duitsland gebruik as voorbeelde van die wyse waarop die bestaande Eiendomsreg in beide regsisteme deur die wetgewer en die howe ontwikkel word. Die doel van die ondersoek is om vas te stel tot watter mate die grondwetlike ontwikkeling van privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg sal bydra tot die totstandkoming van 'n eiendomsregtelike regsorde waarin die sosio-ekonomiese en politieke doelwitte van ekonomiese groei en die vrye ontwikkeling en bemagtiging van die individu gedien word. Die klem word geplaas op die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom as 'n meganisme waardeur die privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg in Duitsland en Suid- Afrika ontwikkel kan word. Die eerste deel van die uiteensetting begrond die keuse van regsvergelying as metode van analise en bespreek die terminologiese probleme wat in 'n ondersoek na die grondwetlike ontwikkeling van die privaatregtelike eiendomsreg kan opduik. Aandag word gegee aan die gebruik van begrippe wat verband hou met eiendom en publieke belang in sowel die privaatreg as in die grondwetlike konteks. Die gebruik van verskillende terme, veral in Engels, kan problematies wees, en daarom word dit breedvoeriger bespreek. In die tweede deel van die uiteensetting word die agtergrond waarteen die grondwetlike bestelle van Duitsland en Suid-Afrika funksioneer, bespreek: Eers word die formulering van die eiendomsklousules in Suid-Afrika en Duitsland vanuit 'n historiese perspektief ondersoek. In beide regsisteme is die grondwetlike eiendomsklousules op 'n kompromis tussen verskillende ideologieë gebaseer. Enersyds op klassieke liberalisme, in terme waarvan eienaars en ander reghebbendes 'n hoë mate van individuele vryheid en outonomie toegeken word; andersyds op sosiaal-demokratiese denke, in terme waarvan strenger regulerende maatreëls (ook op privaat eiendom) geduld moet word. Dan word sommige van die strukturele aspekte verbonde aan die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom in Duitsland en Suid-Afrika bespreek. Die positief geformuleerde eiendomswaarborg in art 14 GG word vergelyk met die negatiewe formulering in art 25 FG en die positiewe waarborg in art 28 lG. Verder word die basiese struktuur en fases van 'n grondwetlike ondersoek in die beskerming en regulering van eiendom bespreek, met spesifieke verwysing na die verskille in die Duitse en Suid-Afrikaanse benaderings. Hierdie verskille is nie van so 'n aard dat dit regsvergelyking kortwiek nie. Nogtans is dit noodsaaklik dat die benaderingsverskille in ag geneem word vir 'n meer diepgaande vergelyking. Daarom word 'n vlugtige oorsig oor die rol van die howe in die hantering van eiendomsvraagstukke in grondwetlike konteks verskaf. Verder word die beginsels onderliggend aan die grondwetlike bestelle in Duitsland en Suid-Afrika bespreek met spesifieke verwysing na die betekenis daarvan vir die beskerming en regulering van eiendom. Daar word veral klem gelê op die regstaat- en sosiaalstaatbeginsels. Die legitimi teit van die regsorde in die algemeen, en meer spesifiek die Eiendomsreg, hang af van die mate van sukses waarmee hierdie beginsels in die gemeenskap geïmplementeer word. Daar word verder aangedui dat die toepassing van hierdie beginsels die mate van individuele vryheid in die uitoefening van eiendomsreg en/of die graad van regulering van eiendomsreg in 'n bepaalde regstelsel bepaal. Die derde deel van die uiteensetting konsentreer op die betekenis van die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom vir die privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg. Die uitgebreide eiendomsbegrip wat in die grondwetlike konteks aangewend word, gee aanleiding tot die vraag na die sin van 'n voortgesette enger eiendomsbegrip in die privaatreg. Hierdie kwessie word bespreek met verwysing na die beskerming van eiendom in terme van die grondwet, en word vergelyk met die omvang van die eiendomsbegrip in die privaatreg. Daar word aangedui dat die sogenaamde uitsluitlik grondwetlike eiendomsbegrip geensins eksklusief aan die Grondwetlike Reg is nie. Die rol van die privaatregtelike eiendomsbegrip in 'n grondwetlike bestel word vervolgens uiteengesit. Verder word die beperkings op eiendom in die grondwetlike konteks geanaliseer. In beginsel is twee soorte beperkings regverdigbaar: (i) Beperking van eiendomsreg deur die vertikale aanwending van die grondwet, dit wil sê deur die breër kategorie wetgewende en administratiewe ontnemings (regulerings) van eiendomsreg en deur 'n enger en meer spesifieke kategorie, naamlik onteiening; en (ii) beperking van eiendomsreg deur horisontale aanwending van die grondwet, dit wil sê deur die inbreuk op eiendomsregte wat toegelaat word as gevolg van die uitwerking van die beskerming van ander regte in die Handves vir Menseregte. Daar word aangedui dat die vereiste van publieke belang in twee teenoorstaande opsigte gebruik word: Enersyds om die individuele belang bo dié van die gemeenskap te stel, en andersyds om die gemeenskap se belange as sulks te beskerm. Daar word ook aangedui dat grondwetlike "inmenging" met privaatregtelike eiendomsreg daarop gemik is om ongebalanseerdhede in die regsverhoudings tussen persone wat deur die reg as "gelykes" bejeën word en in effek nie gelyk is nie, uit te skakel. In die vierde deel van die uiteensetting word die grondhervormingsprogramrne in Duitsland (sedert hervereniging in 1990) en Suid-Afrika (sedert 1991) bespreek. Die klem val op die pogings van die wetgewer en howe om die verbeterde eiendomsbestel, soos wat dit in die grondwet in die vooruitsig gestel word, te konkretiseer. In beide regstelsels het politieke veranderinge 'n grondhervormingsprogram onontbeerlik gemaak: Die grondhervormingsprogram in Suid-Afrika het ten doelom die ongeregtighede in die grondbesitstelsel wat ontstaan het as gevolg van kolonialisme en apartheid uit te skakel. Vir dié doel berus die grondhervormingsprogram op drie verwante, maar uiteenlopende, beginsels. Die nuwe vorme van grondregte wat uit hierdie sisteem ontstaan, word aangedui, en die wyse waarop hierdie deel van die reg deur die howe hanteer word, word bespreek met verwysing na die betekenis daarvan vir die ontwikkeling van die Eiendomsreg. In Duitsland is die noodwendigheid van 'n grondhervormingsprogram aan die hervereniging van die DDR en die BRD gekoppel. Die sosialisties-georienteerde eiendomsbestel wat in die "oostelike" deel van Duitsland aanwending gevind het, moes vervang word deur die bestel wat reeds in die "westelike" deel van die "nuwe" staat in werking was. Verder moet die grondeise van persone wat grond of besigheidseiendom verloor het gedurende die sosialistiese regeringstyd en die voorafgaande Sowjetiese besetting, opgeweeg word teen die aansprake wat huidige besitters op sulke grond het. Die invloed van wetgewing en regspraak hieroor op die Eiendomsreg word geanaliseer. Die laaste deel van die uiteensetting bevat 'n samevatting van die gevolgtrekkings wat deur die loop van die analise gemaak is.

Defence date: 06 July 2021
Examining Board: Professor Giorgio Monti (Tilburg University); Professor Michal Gal (University of Haifa); Professor Orla Lynskey (London School of Economics); Professor Peter Drahos (European University Institute)
This thesis addresses the problem of individuals’ lack of control over personal data in the digital world. It sheds light on market and regulatory failures that lie behind the status quo and proposes a framework to improve regulatory responses. The two regulatory regimes that are at the core of this thesis are EU data protection regulation, which protects individuals’ fundamental rights over data, and EU competition law, which safeguards the sound functioning of the market and consumers’ economic interests. Despite the existence of these two regulatory regimes, individuals do not have sufficient control over personal data collected by digital firms, whose control over large datasets is a factor contributing to market monopolisation. The thesis argues that one reason for the shortcomings of today’s regulatory framework is that the market failure is composed of a combination of factors, which are currently addressed by the different regimes relatively independently. This dichotomy hinders the development of an effective strategy to tackle the market failure in its entirety. The approach taken in this thesis is that by integrating the two regimes, it might be possible to close the gaps deriving from a narrow perception of their regulatory spaces. Hence, the thesis formulates a holistic approach, encompassing data protection regulation and competition law, designed to increase the effectiveness of the regulatory framework as a whole. Different dimensions of the regimes’ interrelation are analysed, to uncover new ways to harness their complementarity and minimise their inconsistencies and overlaps. The thesis looks at how the regimes can incorporate elements from each other to inform their policies and application of their rules, as well as developing a complementary enforcement strategy. The holistic framework ultimately allows both regimes to better tailor their regulatory responses to the functioning of the digital market and take account of the diverse elements that constitute the market failure they seek to correct.

The tourism industry is critically important for the economic well-being of South Africa. This realisation elicited a greater focus on the industry, including greater government regulation thereof. Although the concept of a tourist (consumer of tourism services) will not readily conjure up someone in need of protection, tourists are often exposed to exploitation through unfair business practices. Tourists, by definition, are outside their normal places of residence and often strangers to the environment within which they find themselves. For the important tourism industry to achieve its economic potential the protection of the tourist must be paramount. The introduction of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 in 2010 was heralded as a new dawn for consumers. The CPA provides consumers, including domestic and foreign tourists, with extensive consumer rights. As the CPA is the first comprehensive legislation aimed at consumer protection the impact of the Act is far from known. The CPA caused considerable uncertainty in the tourism industry establishing a clear need to determine its impact on the segments of the industry. This study focuses on the accommodation segment. The aim of the study therefore is to ascertain the impact of selected consumer rights on the accommodation segment of the tourism industry. An overview of the tourism industry reveals that tourists are becoming more experienced, demanding and discerning. The regulation of the industry is explained. Particularly relevant are latest developments in South Africa, particularly the Draft Tourism Bill, 2011 and the National Tourism Sector Strategy. The consumer protection regime applicable prior to the coming into effect of the CPA was characterised more by ad hoc legislative arrangements than any systematic programme of consumer protection. Consumers were reliant on the common law. However, as part of a larger scheme to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people of South Africa, the government introduced a number of statutes including the CPA. The CPA introduced wide-ranging rights for the protection of consumers and mechanisms to provide effective redress. Selected consumer rights are critically analysed to assess the impact of these rights on the accommodation segment. These include the consumer’s right to equality in the market place; the right to privacy; the right to cancel advance bookings; the right to documentation in plain language; the right to quality service; and the right that a supplier having possession of the property of guest must account for such property. Another important aspect relates to the use of exemption provisions. The use of exemption provisions by suppliers is severely curtailed by the CPA. The use of prepaid vouchers, trade coupons and similar promotions, and customer loyalty programmes are also considered and the rights and obligations for consumers and suppliers respectively are elucidated. Many of the rights considered will have a significant impact on accommodation establishments. Elsewhere the impact may not appear to be as significant as the CPA is merely codifying an existing right or remedy. However, codifying the right, providing examples of the conduct prohibited and providing enforcement mechanisms will increase the efficacy of these rights.

The free movement of goods constitutes one of the fundamental principles of the European Union and entitles goods entrance to the internal market. Sweden had before 1995 few monopolies concerning the import, export, manufacturing, distribution and retail on alcohol, and had to as a result of entering EU abolish four of these. The monopoly on retail, Systembolaget, was retained, and is still today strictly controlled by limited number of stores as well as restricted openly-hours. Systembolaget contributes an important part of the Swedish Alcohol Policy, which main purpose is to limit the accessibility of alcohol in Sweden. Another essential purpose is to prevent alcohol to reach people under the age of twenty, and this is upheld by strict age-controls when purchasing alcohol from Systembolaget.

Lately it has been argued that the Swedish prohibition of private import of alcohol con-stitutes a restriction of the free movement of goods and in breach of Article 28 EC. The exception of such restriction is presented in Article 30 EC and allows Member States to obtain national trade barriers if a justification based on the protection of the public health could be made. The Commission is of the opinion that the Swedish prohibition constitute such a restriction referred to in Article 28 and is not willing to accept the justification to protection of the public health. The Swedish government however, is reluc-tant to remove the prohibition and argues that consumers that require a certain product can import alcohol through Systembolaget. An elimination of the ban would undermine the core purpose with Systembolaget which is to protect the public health and prevent alcohol to be distributed to people under the age of twenty.

According to the Alcohol Act a person who has turned twenty can legally import alco-hol to Sweden when he is travelling with the goods if those products are for his personal use. A proposal has been presented to a redefinition of private import, which would in-clude situation where the buyer is not personally travelling with the goods, yet the transportation is carried out on the buyer’s behalf. Such purchases are often referred to distance purchase, and in those situations should the excise duty be laid down in the coun-try where the good was released for consumption. In distance sales the seller is respon-sible for the transportation of the goods but also to pay excise duty on the products in the country of destination.

A redefinition of private import to include transportation made on the buyer’s behalf could create problems since there is no actual contract between the seller and the transporting-company. Problems can then arise since the seller has no possibility to control that the buyer is of the legal age or guaranteeing that the alcohol is for that person’s use

Den fria rörligheten av varor utgör en grundstomme inom den Europeiska Unionen, vilken erkänner varor från medlemsstaterna tillträde till den gemensamma marknaden. Sverige hade fram till 1995 fem olika monopol som reglerade importen, exporten, tillverkningen, distributionen och försäljningen av alkohol, men var tvungen som ett led i inträdet till EU att avveckla fyra av dessa. Kvar återstod försäljningsmonopolet, Systembolaget, vilket än idag är strikt reglerat genom begränsat antal butiker och öppet-tider. Systembolaget utgör in viktigt beståndsdel i den svenska alkoholpolitiken, vilken har till syfte att begränsa alkoholen och dess skadeverkningar i Sverige. Ett viktigt mål är också att motverka att alkoholen når ut till ungdomar under 20år, varvid strikta kon-troller av ålder sker vid köp på Systembolaget.

På senare tid har det diskuterat huruvida det svenska förbudet mot privat införsel av alkohol skall anses vara förenligt med den fria rörligheten av varor och den uppställda artikel 28 i EG-fördraget. Där stadgas det att inga importrestriktioner skall hindra varor tillträde till den gemensamma marknaden. Det uppställda undantaget i artikel 30 berättigar medlemsstaterna att behålla en sådan restriktion om det kan anses nödvändigt till skyddet för den allmänna hälsan. Kommission har i ett motiverat yttrande upplyst Sve-rige att förevarande förbud utgör en sådan restriktion som avses i artikel 28 och att förutsättningarna att behålla ett sådant förbud inte kan anses uppfyllda. Den svenska regeringen anser att förbudet fyller en viktig funktion genom att begränsa tillgängligheten av alkoholen på den svenska marknaden, samt upplyser att en konsument som önskar importera särskilda produkter kan göra detta genom Systembolaget. Att tillåta konsumenter att importera fritt skulle försvaga det ursprungliga syftet med Systembolaget, vilket är att skydda den allmänna hälsan och minska risken för att alkohol blir tillgänglig för ungdomar.

Enligt Alkohollagen kan en person som har fyllt 20 fritt importera alkohol till Sverige under förutsättning att denne reser in med varorna till Sverige och att dessa varor är för hans personliga nyttjande. En föreslagen utvidgning av definitionen privat import kan komma att inkludera varutransporter vilka sker för köparens räkning, ofta kallade distans köp. Detta skiljer sig då nämnvärt från distansförsäljning där säljare står för transporten, och är skyldig att betala punktskatt i destinationslandet för dessa varor. Vid distans köp skall ingen beskattning ske i destinationslandet, under förutsättning att dessa avgifter har betalts i varans ursprungsland.

En utvidgning av definition av privat import till att innefatta varutransporter organiserade av köparen kan skapa problem då inget riktigt kontrakt föreligger mellan säljaren och transportbolaget. Svårigheter kan då uppstå för säljarens då denne saknar möjlighet att kontrollera att köparen är av påstådd ålder och att alkoholen är avsedd för dennes personliga konsumtion.

Defence date: 21 December 2021
Examining Board: Professor Hans – W. Micklitz, European University Institute (Supervisor), Professor Martijn W. Hesselink, European University Institute, Professor Anna Beckers, Maastricht University, Professor Fernanda Nicola, Washington College of Law.
This doctoral dissertation examines the EU consumer perspective on externalities of production in global value chains (GVCs). Whether as part of the discourse on development or global economic governance, externalities of production are a long-standing issue that has been problematised not only by lawyers but also by economists, anthropologists, sociologists and social scientists at large. In the legal field, the analysis has struggled to contextualise consumer law and policy together with the peculiarities of GVCs as a distinct model of business organisation characterised by contractualisation of processes of production. The thesis argues that contractualisation of production establishes a relationship between consumers and processes of production, also in relation to externalities. Such a relation is not mirrored either by the voluntary self-regulation through which enterprises regulate externalities nor by EU consumer law. The present dissertation addresses this matter and argues that EU consumer law limits the involvement of consumers in the process of self-regulation that leading enterprises of GVCs undertake to prevent and/or remedy externalities of production and that results into a unilateral exercise of epistemic authority. The exercise of epistemic authority is favoured by a ‘communication paradigm’ framing EU consumer law, according to which consumer claims’ on sustainability and externalities of production depend on the content of the communication consumers receive prior or via the contract. This paradigm prevents consumers involvement, in all phases of the contractual relationship, in the definition of a legal episteme of sustainability in line with the core constitutional principles and values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and constitutional charters of member states. The final part of the thesis suggests that the limits deriving by the communication paradigm can be overcome by the CJEU that, by relying on the principle of effectiveness can integrate the communication paradigm with a consumer perspective on externalities of production in the post-contractual phase.

Businesses communicate a wide variety of messages to diverse audiences using a number of different communication types and channels daily. For example, business communication includes business reports, documents (booklets, leaflets, and official communiqués), notices, agreements, web copy and advertisements that are produced continually to address a variety of business communication needs for a variety of audiences. Although written business communication has a significant impact on customer satisfaction and consumer attitude which, in turn, affects consumer behaviour positively or negatively, there is a lack of research investigating the knowledge and application of plain language in business communication. Many studies were found to be related to communication and language, however, studies about plain language use were less prevalent. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the awareness of the plain language regulations stipulated in the South African Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 68 of 2008 (2009). The application of these plain language principles within businesses in the Port Elizabeth Metropole, with specific reference to its use in written business communication was also investigated. The study also aimed to identify plain language best practices and constraints resulting from plain language application or non-application within the selected organisations. The research focused attention on the impact of business communication on customer satisfaction, consumer attitude and, ultimately, consumer behaviour as well as the need for plain language use in written business communication practices to ensure effective and fair (ethical) communication. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on communication, communication theory and consumer behaviour, as well as on plain language principles which might add to the effectiveness of organisations’ written business communication, to provide a theoretical foundation for the study. The study’s research methodology was approached from a phenomenological (descriptive and interpretive), and somewhat positivistic perspective, utilising qualitative and limited quantitative measures to obtain data. For this reason, three managers from three respective organisations within the Port Elizabeth Metropole were interviewed and asked to complete a rating-scale survey to obtain insight on the written business communication practices of these organisations. A content analysis of documents supplied by the participating organisations were also reviewed to provide commentary on the plain language application in each organisation. Furthermore, Section 2 of the South African CPA 68 of 2008 (2009) was also reviewed to measure and comment on the application of plain language in these organisations. Based on the data analysis, it was evident that organisations in the Port Elizabeth Metropole were aware of plain language and the plain language regulations stipulated in the South African CPA 68 of 2008 (2009), but that they were not certain what the regulations entailed exactly. Furthermore, plain language principles were applied in the participating organisations, however, complications and areas for possible improvement were identified in the data. From the study’s findings, various recommendations were made that could assist the organisations to improve their organisations’ plain language application. These recommendations included, for example, appointing plain language champions to monitor plain language application in the organisation, as well as assessing language competence of staff and training them to improve their language competencies. Recommendations for future research suggested that future studies needed to include a larger research sample, a more diverse sample population to include consumers and a broader industrial demographic. In addition, future studies could attempt to investigate communication barriers that inhibit or challenge comprehension in consumer communication.

Dispute resolution is an important issue for corporations. Whether the disputes are with their suppliers, employees or with consumers, managing disputes effectively is integral to healthy business risk management. While arbitration is a well-known alternative in disputes with suppliers or employees, its use is infrequent in disputes with consumers. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce arbitration as an option for alternative dispute resolution between businesses and consumers. Banking institutions, insurance companies, businesses in the securities industry and most suppliers of good and services can usefully take advantage of this tool. In our view, the legislative framework in Quebec does not create any barriers to the use of this technique, but provides for some guidelines that corporations must comply with. We hope this paper encourages companies to exercise control of the management of their disputes with consumers with the help of arbitration mechanisms that are at the same time consistent with consumers' rights as set out in Quebec legislation.

Electronic commerce was expected to grow exponentially, but the actual rate of growth in recent years has been disappointing. Recent surveys of perceptions of the development of electronic commerce clearly focus our attention on the perception and fear of computer crime as the major cause of this disappointing growth pattern. The thesis critiques existing private law solutions to this problem and argues from a normative theory on “the commons” for the application of new public law enforcement solutions in the public trust, sanctions, and public coproduction of order. The thesis argues that given the failures of existing private law solutions to the problem, these public law enforcement solutions should be more effective, efficient, and more satisfactory.

For some time now, Article 2061 of the French Civil Code had laid down the general principle that arbitration clauses were invalid. In 2001, an amendment to Article 2061 reversed the concept, so that the former principle became the exception and the law was made to favour arbitration. While the reform was a progressive step, it did leave some ambiguity especially concerning the consumer disputes. Arbitration is indeed a very convenient alternative dispute resolution method in this arena. The purpose of this thesis is to address some of the issues related to consumer disputes. It seeks to demonstrate that by adopting the concept of "inefficiency" of the arbitration clause, whose sanction depends on the will of the consumer, French law will not only reconcile its domestic provisions but also be in accordance with the other judicial systems.

The franchising business model is an attractive option for both franchisors and franchisees. Franchisors grant the rights to use their intellectual property and business system to franchisees for a fee. Franchisees buy into the tried-and-tested business system, receive ongoing training and support and operate under an established trade mark or trade name. Fundamental characteristics of the franchise relationship include: the contractual nature thereof, the use of the franchisor‘s intellectual property by the franchisee, operating the franchise outlet according to the franchisor‘s business system, providing training and support to the franchisee, and paying for the use of the franchisor‘s intellectual property and business system. These characteristics have resulted in inherent tensions between franchisors and franchisees, which arise by virtue of, inter alia, the control exercised by the franchisor over the use of its intellectual property, franchisor opportunism, poor franchisee selection, franchisee free-riding, inadequate training and support, or the sunk investments made by the franchisee. The franchisor and franchisee generally use a franchise agreement to regulate their relationship. However, the franchise agreement itself can also lead to conflict between the parties, such as that arising from poor drafted clauses relating to territorial rights, renewal, payment, termination, restraint of trade, or confidentiality. The franchise agreement is typically drafted in the standard-form, resulting in franchisees faced with unequal bargaining power. The common law of contract is based on principles of freedom of contract and sanctity of contract and is, therefore, limited in its ability to resolve the tensions between the parties. Various models for regulating the franchising industry can be adopted, for example, self-regulation, statutory regulation, or co-regulation. Australia and Canada have adopted the statutory model by enacting franchise-specific legislation and New Zealand has followed the self-regulation model with no legislation regulating its franchising industry. South Africa did not formally regulate the franchise relationship through legislation until the enactment of its consumer protection legislation, the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), which includes a franchisee within the definition of consumer. This entails that all franchisees enjoy the protection of the CPA and all franchise agreements must comply with the provisions of the CPA. The South African economy is unique in that it is burdened by the social ills of its discriminatory past, such as high levels of unemployment, illiteracy and inequality. The country is faced with a slow growing economy with little development and promotion of entrepreneurship among small businesses. Despite the burdensome economy within which the franchising industry is required to operate, the industry‘s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country has remained stable. The South African government has identified the franchising industry as an opportunity for job creation, economic empowerment and promotion of entrepreneurship. The aim of the study is to ascertain whether the CPA is the correct legislative vehicle to regulate the franchise relationship, while enhancing the growth and development of the franchising industry. This thesis concludes that the introduction of fundamental consumer rights and rights of redress for franchisees through the provisions of the CPA has contributed to, or assisted in, the removal of the tensions inherent in the franchise relationship. In particular, the CPA has adequately addressed the lack of formal regulation of the franchise relationship through its disclosure requirements and its regulations. The thesis also proposes amendments to some of the CPA regulations, which will further enhance the disclosure requirements, and aid in curtailing the conflict caused by the terms of the franchise agreement. The thesis further proposes that the application of the CPA to franchise agreements should be limited to small, inexperienced or unsophisticated franchisees that are in need of the protection. An essential premise is that the CPA aims to protect ordinary consumers, including juristic persons, in day-to-day transactions (up to the threshold amount), to avoid suppliers taking advantage of them. Larger, more sophisticated or experienced franchisees, with stronger bargaining power and access to legal advice, do not necessarily require the protection of the CPA. The criteria relating to the size of class of micro-, very small and small enterprises, but not medium enterprises, within the different sectors or sub-sectors in terms of the National Small Enterprises Act, 102 of 1996, should be considered and used as a guide to determine whether the CPA applies to a franchise agreement. The development, growth and success of the franchising industry depends on the education of prospective franchisees wanting to adopt the franchising business model and invest in the industry. The CPA does not recognise or promote the roles of the various stakeholders (franchisors, franchisees and the government) with regard to the provision of education, training, ongoing support and assistance to prospective franchisees. This thesis proposes that mechanisms to enhance the education of prospective franchisees should be promoted, such as tandem franchising, obtaining advice undertakings from prospective franchisees before concluding franchise agreements, and increasing the role of the Consumer Commission in providing franchising education.

Patients who have undergone treatment that has included the surgical implantation of a prosthetic device can become dissatisfied for many reasons. One cause for dissatisfaction is any adverse event where there is a demonstrable causal nexus with the failure of a device that is defective or at risk of being so. The magnitude of therapeutic product failure is considerable and therapeutic goods such as Vioxx, Thalidomide, silicon-gel-filled breast implants, contaminated blood products, cardiac pacemakers and valves, and orthopaedic devices are testimony to this. Many of these events have exposed a greyish area of Australian law that balances medical negligence with consumer protection and contract law. Australian product liability legislation that regulates the use of therapeutic goods is a complex amalgam of law that has at its foundations the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) and the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth). When a surgical device fails there can be exposure to liability. This thesis explores those important issues that can impact on individuals or on organisations and it is evident that where issues of product liability concern implanted surgical devices the current regulations for consumer protection may not always be the most appropriate. It is evident that there is a culture of under-reporting of adverse events to a Therapeutic Good Administration that does not have the resources to investigate the cause for failure of a surgical device. Furthermore, there is a potential for bias and conflict of interest in an environment where the regulator depends on the regulated for the funding of its existence. Other issues include the complex and often undesirable consequences of those partnerships that can evolve with the development of an implantable device and with the undertaking of clinical trials, the role of the learned intermediary, that interface between manufacturer and consumer, and the role of the expert witness, that interface between justice and injustice. These and other matters that can significantly influence any debate of implantable surgical device product liability are explored and recommendations are made that might form the basis of a Therapeutic Goods (Safe Medical Devices) Amendment Act.

The subject of sms-loans is examined by using primary and secondary sources’. This form of credit is formally independent from other obligations with a very short credit period and the amount of the loan is low. This form of credits is applied by mobile phones and on the internet by several companies, some of them are presented in this essay. These type of creditors do not come under any sanctions from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority as is customary for other creditors, they only need to register. Within the consumer credit legislation from 1992 there are some exceptions in the 5a, 6 and 9 §§ concerning credit rating, information and agreements in writing. These exceptions are the reasons that make sms-loans possible. The current legislation on this subject is identified and the exceptions are further explained in the essay. Within this type of credit the consumer protection differs from other types of loans with higher credit amounts. This is also due to the exceptions within the law. The current consumer credit legislation is based on a council directive from 1987, where it is optional for the member states to include these exceptions or not in their legislation. The legislator in Sweden adopted these exceptions, as they did not predict any risk of over indebtedness. In the law-making process documented in the government bill 1991/92:83, this risk was considered as non-existent, although this risk of over indebtedness was observed by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Swedish Enforcement Authority. The statistics of the official non-payment notices confirms this observation. These authorities and the non-governmental organisation, The Swedish Consumers’ Association, have since 2006 and onwards been pushing for a change of the legislation according to the abrogation of the exceptions. Within several official publications the complexity of sms-loans are described, such as the lack of consumer protection and the risk of over indebtedness. The Swedish Consumer Agency is the supervising authority regarding this legislation field, and the companies providing sms-loans. When the Agency discharges one’s official duties, the Marketing Act is the legislation in use. The Swedish Market Court has convicted creditors, but none of the verdicts were related to the exceptions. The lack of consumer protection is also noticed in the EU, and a new council directive was adopted in 2008. This has now been implemented into a memorandum and the appurtenant draft bill. The intention with this bill is to enforce the consumer protection and to reduce the risk of over indebtedness, when consumers obtain credit. This bill is intended to become effective at 1 of January 2011.     

The problem of this study was to measure older and younger consumers' knowledge or awareness of selected consumer rights and legal protections, and their perceptions of and experience with unfair and deceptive business practices. A 34-item instrument was developed and administered by telephone to a random sample of 1,305 consumers nationwide. The data were examined by analysis of frequencies, Chi-square, and analysis of variance. The findings revealed (p<.01) that consumer knowledge was related to the age and marital status of the respondent. Married consumers and consumers aged 25-49 were the most knowledgeable about the eight consumer laws and legal protections.

Consumer experiences with unfair and deceptive business practices were related to age, marital status, and gender. Younger, married, and female consumers had experienced three or more of the unfair and deceptive business practices. Married consumers and consumers aged 25-74 are more perceptive than consumers aged 75 and over in correctly identifying a business practice as unfair or illegal. The gender of the respondent does not always influence their perceptions of whether or not a particular business practice is fair.

Significant differences existed between the knowledge score means and the age and marital status of the respondent. Significant differences existed between the experience score means and the age, marital status, and gender of the respondent.
Master of Science

This thesis analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of various types of eco-labels, focusing primarily on differences between mandatory and voluntary eco-labeling programs. I argue that many of the problems with eco-labeling could be addressed by improving regulations. The current regulation of eco-labeling in the United States is discussed, especially the shortcomings of the FTC’s Green Guides. I recommend creating enforceable national legislation to regulate environmental claims that includes involvement of key stakeholders, a list of acceptable environmental claims, enforceable national definitions of environmental terms, an avenue for manufacturers and consumers to challenge environmental claims, consumer education, and periodic review and revision.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-09-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:39:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 balanjunior_o_me_fran.pdf: 1517696 bytes, checksum: ab435b5e58869752ea0cd89ca36317b8 (MD5)
O presente trabalho buscará trazer uma profunda reflexão sobre o avanço técnico na sociedade moderna do instituto denominado estabelecimento virtual, assim como seus reflexos nas mais variadas searas. Buscar-se-á compreender este fenômeno através do estudo da técnica, tudo com base nas obras do pensador Jacques Ellul, que trilhou sobre as mais diversas áreas do conhecimento no século passado, com extremo brilhantismo, podendo, além disso, ser considerado um visionário. Mostrar-se-ão os problemas que o avanço tecnológico vem trazendo, os quais complicam o ser humano em sua vida particular, criando neuroses, fruto da adaptação deste ao mundo moderno. Para tanto e de forma mais analítica estudar-se-ão as características da técnica moderna, as quais permitem entender como se dá o desenvolvimento da técnica. Buscar-se-á compreender também o que vem a ser a informação, a principal técnica da atualidade, e as diferentes concepções sobre a sociedade contemporânea. Além disso, analisar-se-á a influência da imagem na sociedade técnica e sua predominância em relação à palavra. Necessária também se mostrou a análise do que vem a ser o comércio eletrônico, o novo modelo de realizações negociais, que se apresenta em franco crescimento. Assim, o estabelecimento virtual surge dentro deste contexto, não permitindo a criação de obstáculos, se encontrando atualmente em todo o mundo, sem enxergar as diferenças culturais e as menosprezando, trazendo uma uniformidade ao mundo, tanto pela forma de comercializar, como pelos produtos que expõe. Mas não são todas as pessoas do globo que tem acesso a este, sendo este outro grande problema apresentado pelo estabelecimento virtual: a exclusão digital. Por conseguinte, demonstrar-se-á...
The present study will try to create a profound reflexion about the technical advance in the modern society of the institute known as virtual establishment, and also its reflexes in a variety of associations. One of the objectives, is to understand this phenomenon thought the study of the technique, all based on the publications of the philosopher Jacques Ellul, who disserted about the various parts of knowledge in the last century with extreme brilliance,making him a true visionary. The problems brought by technological advances will be shown, these can complicated one´s private life, generating neurosis, a product of its adaptation to the modern world. To do so in an analytical form, the characteristics of the modern technique will be studied, permitting tounderstand the development of the technique. The meaning of information, the principal technique used in the actuality, and its different conceptions in contemporaneous society will be explained, and also, the influence of image in the technical society and its predominance in relation with words will be analyzed. The analyses of what is electronic marketing, a new model of business transactions that is in fast growth should also be done. The virtual market appears inside this context, without obstacles, spreading to the entire globe, with no eyes for cultural differences, bringing uniformity to the world, not just in the way to shop but also on the products available. But not everyone has access to it, being this a big problem presented by the virtual establishment: the digital exclusion. In this work, there will be shown the necessity of development of ways to advance in the virtual technique, ways that show be the result of a critical and reflexive posture of the man, which is rarely seen now a days. This work will be based on comparison of the traditional establishment... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-03-14T17:42:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna Simões França.pdf: 1589211 bytes, checksum: 1dad341b5fa496abdfccbc2de400367a (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-14T17:42:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna Simões França.pdf: 1589211 bytes, checksum: 1dad341b5fa496abdfccbc2de400367a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-20
The propose of this work is to analyze the right that the right that consumers have to be oriented and informed and the consequences of this right is not observed by the financial institutions especially in loan contracts and considering the vulnerability of the consumers. We will begin doing an explanation of the legal regime of the financial institutions on Brazilian Constitution, the Central Bank and the Monetary Authority, as well as the possibility for self-regulation. Then we will analyze the legal protection of the consumer in Brazil, with main focus on the information right. We will study the concept of good faith in legal terms and the responsibility of financial institutions in abusive loan contracts regarding consumers. There will be a highlight on de vulnerability of the consumer and de concept of consumers that are more vulnerable than others. This paper intends to demonstrate that loan contracts sign with disregard of the information right by the financial institution to not oblige the consumer. As a consequence of this violation, the contract should be considered as not valid and the parties involved must return to the previously situation
O objetivo deste trabalho será analisar o papel do direito à informação do consumidor e do dever de educação do fornecedor e a responsabilidade jurídica que as instituições financeiras possuem nos contratos de mútuo bancário no direito brasileiro, especialmente considerando a vulnerabilidade do consumidor. Iniciaremos fazendo uma explanação do regime jurídico das instituições financeiras na Constituição Federal, no Brasil pelo Banco Central e Conselho Monetário Nacional, bem como a possibilidade de autorregulação de suas atividades. Após, trataremos da proteção jurídica do consumidor, especialmente o direito à informação. Será analisado ainda o conceito de boa-fé objetiva, bem como a responsabilidade dos fornecedores nos contratos de mútuo no que tange aos consumidores. Neste ponto, serão destacados a vulnerabilidade do consumidor e o conceito de consumidores hipervulneráveis. Este trabalho pretende demonstrar que os contratos de mútuo celebrados com desrespeito ao dever de informação por parte do fornecedor não vinculam o consumidor. Como consequência desta violação, o contrato deverá ser considerado nulo e, assim, as partes deverão voltar ao status quo anterior à celebração do contrato

Orientador: Jorge David Barrientos-Parra
Banca: Rui Décio Martins
Banca: Jorge Luis Mialhe
Resumo: O presente trabalho buscará trazer uma profunda reflexão sobre o avanço técnico na sociedade moderna do instituto denominado estabelecimento virtual, assim como seus reflexos nas mais variadas searas. Buscar-se-á compreender este fenômeno através do estudo da técnica, tudo com base nas obras do pensador Jacques Ellul, que trilhou sobre as mais diversas áreas do conhecimento no século passado, com extremo brilhantismo, podendo, além disso, ser considerado um visionário. Mostrar-se-ão os problemas que o avanço tecnológico vem trazendo, os quais complicam o ser humano em sua vida particular, criando neuroses, fruto da adaptação deste ao mundo moderno. Para tanto e de forma mais analítica estudar-se-ão as características da técnica moderna, as quais permitem entender como se dá o desenvolvimento da técnica. Buscar-se-á compreender também o que vem a ser a informação, a principal técnica da atualidade, e as diferentes concepções sobre a sociedade contemporânea. Além disso, analisar-se-á a influência da imagem na sociedade técnica e sua predominância em relação à palavra. Necessária também se mostrou a análise do que vem a ser o comércio eletrônico, o novo modelo de realizações negociais, que se apresenta em franco crescimento. Assim, o estabelecimento virtual surge dentro deste contexto, não permitindo a criação de obstáculos, se encontrando atualmente em todo o mundo, sem enxergar as diferenças culturais e as menosprezando, trazendo uma uniformidade ao mundo, tanto pela forma de comercializar, como pelos produtos que expõe. Mas não são todas as pessoas do globo que tem acesso a este, sendo este outro grande problema apresentado pelo estabelecimento virtual: a exclusão digital. Por conseguinte, demonstrar-se-á... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)
Abstract: The present study will try to create a profound reflexion about the technical advance in the modern society of the institute known as virtual establishment, and also its reflexes in a variety of associations. One of the objectives, is to understand this phenomenon thought the study of the technique, all based on the publications of the philosopher Jacques Ellul, who disserted about the various parts of knowledge in the last century with extreme brilliance,making him a true visionary. The problems brought by technological advances will be shown, these can complicated one's private life, generating neurosis, a product of its adaptation to the modern world. To do so in an analytical form, the characteristics of the modern technique will be studied, permitting tounderstand the development of the technique. The meaning of information, the principal technique used in the actuality, and its different conceptions in contemporaneous society will be explained, and also, the influence of image in the technical society and its predominance in relation with words will be analyzed. The analyses of what is electronic marketing, a new model of business transactions that is in fast growth should also be done. The virtual market appears inside this context, without obstacles, spreading to the entire globe, with no eyes for cultural differences, bringing uniformity to the world, not just in the way to shop but also on the products available. But not everyone has access to it, being this a big problem presented by the virtual establishment: the digital exclusion. In this work, there will be shown the necessity of development of ways to advance in the virtual technique, ways that show be the result of a critical and reflexive posture of the man, which is rarely seen now a days. This work will be based on comparison of the traditional establishment... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
Mestre

L'émergence du droit de la consommation en tant que discipline autonome, peut être analysée dans les effets qu'elle a produits dans le discours juridique dans sa globalité, de diverses manières. Lors des célébrations de l’anniversaire de la signature du Traité de Rome qui a jeté les bases de l'Union Européenne actuelle, on doit souligner que « L'UE a largement amélioré la vie quotidienne de ses citoyens». Qu'en est-il plus précisément de la protection des consommateurs? Sans l’Europe, le droit de la consommation ne se serait pas développé aussi solidement qu'il ne l’a fait aux cours des quarante dernières années. Le droit européen de la consommation trouve sa source essentielle dans le programme préliminaire d'avril 1975 pour une politique de protection et d’information des consommateurs qui a énoncé cinq droits fondamentaux : droit à la protection de la santé et de la sécurité, droit à la protection des intérêts économiques des consommateurs, droit à la réparation des dommages, droit à l’information et à l'éducation, droit à la représentation. Le E-commerce (achat et vente de services et produits via Internet) a transformé notre manière de consommer, offrant aux consommateurs plus de choix qu'auparavant. Mais il soulève également de nouveaux problèmes, qui doivent être réglés. Les conditions de protection des consommateurs différent encore beaucoup d’un pays à l'autre. Si dans certains pays, 76% des consommateurs déclarent se sentir suffisamment protégés par les mesures existantes, dans d'autres ce chiffre tombe à 28%. Or, depuis qu’ils ont rejoint l’Union européenne, les pays de l'Est de l'Europe, généralement situés assez bas sur l’échelle de satisfaction, ont vu ces pourcentages s'améliorer de façon importante
In regulatory jurisdictions that provide for this consumer protection is a group of laws and organizations designed to ensure the rights of consumers, as well as fair trade, competition, and accurate information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent the businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors. Furthermore the importance of the consumer protection is to safeguard the consumer from exploitation. In the absence of consumer protection, consumers were exploited in many ways for example sale of unsafe products, adulteration and hoarding of goods, using wrong weights and measures, charging excessive prices and sale of inferior quality goods. Through various Consumer Protection Acts, business organizations are under pressure to keep away from exploiting consumers. Consumer protection law is considered an area of law that regulates private law relationships between individual consumers and the businesses that sell those goods and services. In 2018, the European Commission is proposing a New Deal for Consumers to ensure that all European consumers fully benefit from their rights under Union law. A study on transparency in online platforms, also published, supports the New Deal’s proposals on online market places. Finally, the different theories show the sophisticated aspects of the French consumer law which has been developing since the Code Napoleon

Dans le domaine du droit de la vente, on peut trouver beaucoup de règles qui sont limitées dans leur champ d’application ratione personae (par exemple aux seuls contrats Business to Consumer, B2C, ou aux contrats B2B). Ces différenciations sont souvent dues à des raisons historiques (par exemple la transposition de directives européennes en matière de droit de la consommation). Cependant, ces différenciations, qui compliquent les dispositions en matière du droit de la vente pour la jurisprudence ainsi que pour les utilisateurs et praticiens du droit, ne sont souvent pas justifiées par des raisons matérielles. La présente étude a l’objectif de trouver une réponse à la question quelles différenciations sont réellement utiles et dans quelles dispositions il est souhaitable de prévoir davantage une règle uniforme pour toutes les hypothèses ratione personae. A cette fin, le travail examine le droit de la vente français et allemand ainsi que des réglementations et principes européennes et internationaux (CVIM, DCEV, Principes UNIDROIT, CCR) et les analyse en se référant, outre que l’argumentation juridique, à la méthode fonctionnelle du droit comparé et à l’analyse économique du droit
In sales law, there are many provisions that have limited personal scope of application, for instance special rules for so-called B2C (Business-to-Consumer) or B2B (Business-to-Business) contracts. Those personal differentiations, that make the application for judges, contracting parties as well as legal practitioners very complicated, are often due to historical reasons (for example the transposition of European Directives in the field of consumer law), but not justified by substantial arguments like differences between those personal categories.The present comparative study aims at finding out where these differentiations are useful and justified by substantial reasons and at what point it is preferable to provide a uniform rule for all personal configurations. In order to answer this question, this work examines the German and French sales law as well as European and international regulations and principles of soft law (CISG, CESL, UNIDROIT Principles, CFR) and analysis the rules using, apart from legal argumentation, the functional method of comparative law as well as the law and economics approach
Insbesondere im Kaufrecht findet man immer wieder einzelne Vorschriften, Gesetzesabschnitte oder ganze Gesetzbücher mit eingeschränkten personalen Anwendungsbereichen (z.B. beschränkt auf Business to Consumer Verträge, B2C, oder auch auf B2B-Verträge. Jedoch scheint dieses komplizierte Netz aus personalen Differenzierungen keiner bestimmten Logik zu folgen und basiert häufig auf rein historischen Gründen (z.B. der Umsetzung von europäischen Verbraucherrichtlinien) oder auf beschränkter legislativer Kompetenz.Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht daher, an welcher Stelle derartige personal differenzierende Vorschriften tatsächlich durch materielle Gründe gerechtfertigt sind und wo es besser wäre, die Differenzierung zu beseitigen, um das Kaufrecht zu vereinfachen und für dessen Adressaten und Anwender zugänglicher zu machen. Somit richtet sich die Arbeit nicht nur an die Gesetzgeber, um die existierenden Regelungen zu vereinfachen, sondern auch an die Rechtsprechung und die Praxis. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen untersucht die Arbeit das deutsche und französische Kaufrecht sowie internationale und europäische Regelwerke (CISG, CESL, UNIDROIT-Principles, CFR). Dabei werden außer der juristischen Argumentation die funktionale Methode der Rechtsvergleichung und die Ökonomische Analyse des Rechts verwendet

Thesis "Consumer Protection in transport in EU legislation" deals with consumer protection in specific areas. This thesis defined the rights and obligations of air passengers, rail transport, bus and coach transport and consumer protection when traveling by sea and inland waterways. The thesis is also exploring the awareness of EU citizens of their rights by the European Commission - Eurobarometer. Thesis is processed by analysis and comparison of selected judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union and EU legislation.

La réalisation du marché intérieur européen par une meilleure intégration des marchés financiers est aujourd’hui devenue une réalité. L'objectif est toutefois loin d'être atteint en matière de crédit hypothécaire, nonobstant de nombreuses initiatives européennes. Compte tenu de ces difficultés et du postulat selon lequel il serait impossible d'harmoniser le droit des suretés immobilières en raison de leur ancrage culturel et national, une proposition alternative consistant dans la création d'une sûreté immobilière commune (euro-hypothèque), venant se superposer aux systèmes nationaux, a été formulée depuis un certain nombre d'années. La recherche analyse dans un premier temps la réalité du postulat précité à la lumière du droit comparé et conclut qu'en réalité, les différents systèmes trouvent non seulement leur origine dans un modèle identique, fondé sur le caractère accessoire de la sûreté, mais ont en outre connu une évolution similaire au cours de ces dernières années. Il apparaît que ce modèle constitue la meilleure base pour toute harmonisation européenne. Après avoir examiné l'interaction avec le droit international privé, sous l'angle de la protection du consommateur, et le droit européen, sous l'angle de la question de la compétence communautaire et du principe de subsidiarité, des pistes sont proposés pour opérer un rapprochement des législations nationales relatives au crédit hypothécaire. La proposition consiste à intégrer dans un seul instrument juridique contraignant (une directive européenne) les différentes propositions permettant d'opérer un rapprochement des législations nationales à trois niveaux :celui de la sûreté immobilière et de la publicité foncier, celui du contrat de prêt et enfin, celui relatif à la procédure de réalisation de l'immeuble.
Doctorat en droit
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Defence Date: 28 January 2011
Examining Board: Prof. Christian Joerges, University of Bremen (Supervisor); Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, EUI; Prof. Luisa Antoniolli, University of Trento; Prof. Geraint Howells, University of Manchester
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digital archive of EUI PhD theses
Using consumer credit regulation as a case study, this thesis investigates how the specific legislation in this field can be explained by the major streams of economic philosophy. Based on an analysis of the evolution of European consumer credit legislation it is shown how the EU legislator’s approach towards consumer protection has changed and, more importantly, who are the addressees of this legislation. Finally, the thesis discusses how the role of contemporary consumers is conceptualized by European legislators. It can be shown that EU consumer credit regulations are a perfect example for illustrating the wider changes in EU consumer legislation. The thesis addresses the question whether consumer credit legislation is only regulated by economic law or also by social law and hence, whether it has a social dimension in addition to an economic one. Further, it discusses the implications of two competing approaches to consumer regulation, namely a free consumer credit market (neoliberal approach) and one that is characterized by public intervention (social market approach). On the European level, the issue of the character of law which regulates consumer credit has consequences on the legislative competences shared by the EU and member states legislators in this respect. This is inseparable from the question concerning the choice between the minimum or maximum harmonisation approaches. The core argument of this thesis is that all above-mentioned aspects converge into a common focal point in that there is tension between two fundamental goals of the European Community, namely economic efficiency (understood as a competitive market society) and consumer protection (understood as, broadly speaking, a social justice society with its distributive role). The dissertation discusses whether and how these two goals can be reconciled, and which of them actually prevails in the EU consumer credit legislation.

Award date: 25 January 2018
Supervisor: Prof. Hans-W. Micklitz
The thesis investigates the evolution of the status-related approach to consumer protection in the private law of the European Union and asks whether this traditional approach is still viable in the times of growing digitalisation. It explores, firstly, what consumer protection actually means and, secondly, whether instruments adopted for this purpose are also directed at the achievement of other policy goals. It shows that, in the most general understanding, consumer protection is linked to the position of “passive market participants”, namely persons entering into legal relationships to satisfy their needs without producing the product or service themselves. It is usually, but not invariably, limited to the standard consumer notion, displays several overarching themes such as access, information, fairness and alternative dispute resolution and remains strongly intertwined with the internal market project. The thesis further asks whether, throughout the years, tensions associated with the status-related approach to consumer protection were identified and, if so, whether and how they were addressed. It touches upon the changing normative content of the term itself and points to several areas – most notably related to the provision of services – in which the notion of a “consumer” has partially been replaced (or supplemented) with other categories. It finally asks whether digitalisation is setting an end to the status-related consumer protection and attempts to draw the possible ways forward.

Defence date: 18 December 2009
Examining Board: Professor Christian Joerges, University of Bremen (supervisor), Professor Hans-W. Micklitz, European University Institute, Professor Roland Bieber, University of Lausanne, Professor Stephen Weatherill, University of Oxford
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digital archive of EUI PhD theses
This thesis examines the relationship between fundamental rights and consumer protection in the European Union. Traditionally, consumer regulation has been applied as a onedimensional tool to achieve economic integration. In 2000, the Charter of Fundamental Rights broadened the scope of consumer law to include a social dimension; however, this initiative remains limited in practice, because of the abstract wording in the Charter, and because of the partly contrasting full-harmonisation strategy of the EU. Moreover, the Charter is not binding and it risks succumbing to traditional market-oriented policy tendencies. This thesis tries to build a bridge between the two approaches to consumer law - the market-oriented approach, and the fundamental-rights based approach. To do so, it suggests a new consumer concept, based upon the capability approach of the economist Amartya Sen. Such an approach enables the consumer to deal with the risks of increasingly integrated and complex markets, by focusing upon basic procedural rights. Three areas of consumer law have been gaining importance in recent times: credit agreements, telecommunications, and collective redress. Cases from these areas are considered here, as they exemplify the inter-action between fundamental rights, and participation in cross-border markets. First, cases in consumer credit illustrate the impact of fundamental rights on the provision of fair contractual conditions, and on access to responsible lending schemes. Second, the new telecommunication proposal highlights the importance of regulatory participation mechanisms for consumers, to ensure access to services of general interests and to ensure data protection in an increasingly privatised environment. Finally, collective redress mechanisms show how procedural innovations can improve judicial participation through the basic right of access to justice. The thesis concludes by proposing a new legal approach for consumer law in the EU, in order reach a compromise between social and economic demands.

Traditional redress mechanisms such as litigation and traditional alternative dispute resolution generally fail to strengthen consumer confidence in e-commerce. Rather they may represent an additional source of uncertainty. In particular litigation fails to offer the certainty the consumer seeks. To date, neither European nor American courts have found reliable criteria for determining Internet jurisdiction and have failed to provide consistency in their decisions. In addition, uncertainty arising from unclear concepts on the enforcement level and the high volume of disputes with low monetary value have led to the development of online ADR providers that allow individuals from across the world to settle disputes. Both online mediation and online arbitration serve consumers as appropriate instruments to enforce their rights arising out of online disputes. They are designed for disputes with small monetary value and are capable of overcoming jurisdictional obstacles. On the enforcement level, online arbitration based on the New York Convention provides the consumer with a powerful tool on global level. Online consumer arbitration can ensure a maximum of enforceability if the consumer arbitration rules of online ADR providers incorporate the requirements of the New York Convention. In addition or instead of online ADR, businesses increasingly rely on other dispute avoidance and dispute settlement instruments in order to promote consumer confidence. Some of those models employed by e-commerce companies succeed in promoting trust, while others do so only to a limited extent. In particular, mandatory credit card chargeback regimes give consumers an effective and quick means of disputing a transaction with a merchant at almost no cost. On the other hand, escrow services seem to be less appropriate for the typical small amount e-commerce transaction mainly since consumers are generally not willing to pay the added costs for the use of the escrow service for the average small amount transaction. Trustmark and seal programs provide the potential to give guidance to the consumer about consumer protection standards of the online seller before any damage is done and offer effective and inexpensive certification, monitoring and enforcement procedures. However, to date trustmark and seal systems have applied these powerful tools only to a limited extent. A proliferation of trustmark and seal programs make it hard for consumers to distinguish between differences in the programs and to assess their quality. Rating and feedback systems provide an immediate and inexpensive source of information to buyers about sellers and a strong incentive for good performance to repeat sellers. These systems are prone to abuse and information gathered through these systems is often unreliable. In my thesis I argue that traditional litigation no longer provides the most appropriate means of dispute settlement in the case of small amount crossborder consumer transactions. Neither do traditional ADR mechanisms provide the most convenient and efficient method of settling online consumer disputes. Online ADR and several other models of redress successfully replace traditional mechanisms since they better meet the challenges of online disputes and live up to recognised consumer protection principles. I argue that online arbitration based on international arbitration law such as the New York Convention presents a particularly viable instrument for the settlement of the average smallamount online consumer disputes. After having sketched the jurisdictional hurdles for the resolution of online disputes I analyse whether both online ADR and other trust-creating models are capable of providing an efficient and fair redress instrument for the consumer. For this purpose, the practises and policies of online dispute resolution providers are mirrored in recognised consumer protection principles and the international legal framework. Likewise the potential and limits of other trust-creating models are explored under the question of to what extent they serve the consumer as a viable instrument to impose her rights. The guiding questions of this evaluation will be if and to what extent these recently evolved institutions meet - according to their policies and practises - the challenges set up by the particularities of online consumer transactions.

Defence date: 17 September 2018
Examining Board: Professor Stefan Grundmann, European University Institute (Supervisor); Professor Miguel Poiares Maduro, European University Institute; Professor Daniel Markovits, Yale Law School; Professor Simon Deakin, University of Cambridge
This dissertation proposes a form of collaboration between legal and economic research called Minimalist Law-and-Economics. This approach acknowledges the core commitments of both disciplines and promotes a division of labour based on their comparative advantages. While lawyers expect an analysis that is grounded in legal reasons and respectful of the fairness and wrongfulness theses, economists expect efficient market relations, analysed from an ‘ex-ante’ perspective respectful of epistemological and normative minimalism. The collaboration proposed in this dissertation improves the lawyers’ understanding of market relations and thus enhances their ability to regulate them effectively. Conversely, economists can strengthen the empirical foundations of their research by considering legal reasons as evidence. This is attractive for value choices especially, since their justification is not central to economists’ expertise. To support Minimalist Law-and-Economics, this dissertation warrants three claims: 1) the economic claim holds that consumer welfare is a maxim and used in market efficiency analysis in alternative to total welfare; 2) the translation claim holds that with consumer welfare rather than total welfare as the maxim and, it is possible to offer a plausible economic account of fair market relations; and 3) the doctrinal claim holds that the efficiency hypothesis, which has consumer welfare as maxim and, explains the reasons given in EU antitrust and consumer law better than the traditional efficiency hypothesis based on total welfare. The dissertation is divided into three parts. Part I clarifies the conditions for collaboration considered by Minimalist Law-and-Economics. Part II builds the theory that warrants the economic and translation claims. To do this, it gives an account of market relations that are compatible with the fairness and wrongfulness theses and the ‘ex-ante’ perspective. Part III narrows the focus to EU antitrust and consumer law in order to warrant the doctrinal claim and to show how the analysis of legal reasons can be epistemologically and normatively minimalist. United in diversity, economic and legal research may well have a brighter future.

Consumer protection has become an important issue in many spheres of trade. This fact is borne out by the many consumer protection laws introduced in many countries globally. However, despite these developments Swaziland is lagging behind. Obviously, this state of affairs has left consumers in Swaziland in a totally vulnerable position. Consumers are often exploited in two material respects. They are either subjected to unfair contract terms in the provision of services, or supplied with defective products having the potential of causing serious bodily harm. In protecting consumers the common law has been judicially developed over many centuries to curb these unfair trading practices. The doctrine of freedom of contract has been the driving force in regulating the relations between consumers and suppliers. The import of this doctrine is the unyielding recognition of an individual’s autonomy in the conclusion of consumer transactions. The underlying percepts of this doctrine are privity of contract, which only recognises obligations between contracting parties, and pacta sunt servanda which requires contractual undertakings to be recognised. The operation of contractual freedom in concluding agreements often leads to unfair results against consumers because suppliers usually impose unfair terms as a result of their stronger bargaining power over consumers. In short, problems faced by consumers were twofold; first, they have to battle the issue of potentially harmful goods, and secondly, their economically weak bargaining position is exploited by suppliers through the use of unfair contract terms. Many countries, including the United Kingdom and South Africa, addressed these two consumer issues decisively through statutory reform aimed at protecting consumers against potentially harmful products and unfair contract terms. Swaziland requires statutory reformative measures that will ensure a shift from the current consumer framework regulated by outmoded common law principles towards a modern framework that will comply with international standards.
Thesis (LL.M)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Defence date: 25 July 2014
Examining Board: Professor Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, European University Institute; Professor Giorgio Monti, European University Institute; Professor Christopher Hodges, University of Oxford; Professor Norbert Reich, University of Bremen.
In 1998 the European Union adopted a new self-standing instrument of collective enforcement - the Action for Injunction. Until then, the main focus was on the improvement of the position of the individual consumer through the adoption of substantive consumer law directives. The Injunction Directive provides for a general framework on consumer law enforcement in national and cross-border litigation. Qualified entities, public agencies and/or consumer organisations, are granted legal standing. National courts are bound to mutually respect the standing of EU wide registered qualified entities. Outside these clear-cut rules on the mutual recognition of standing, the Injunction Directive remains largely silent. The implementation into 28 Member States swiftly revealed the rather limited harmonising effect. The thesis investigates and explains how despite the legally approved diversity, the Injunction Directive contains the potential to turn diversity into convergence. The key to understanding the potential is the thesis of dualism of enforcement measures. Read together with the Annex the Injunction Directive establishes the deep interconnection between collective and individual enforcement, of substantive and procedural enforcement, of judicial and administrative enforcement. The different levels and means of enforcement should not be regarded separately but should always be looked at in their interplay, in their mutual institutional design and their mutual impact. Evidence for convergence can be found in the Invitel judgment of the ECJ and in the practice of consumer organisations via co-ordination actions across borders by which they overcome the boundaries of collective vs. individual or judicial vs. administrative enforcement. Regulation 2006/2004 re-adjusts the dualistic structure of enforcement in favour of public bodies and promotes convergence through para-legal means, through new modes of enforcement, through co-operation and co-ordination outside courts and in open interaction between administrative bodies, to which consumer organisations are admitted on approval only.

Food labelling serves to (a) inform consumers about the attributes of a food product so that they can make rational and well-informed choices; (b) assist manufacturers in marketing their product; and (c) warn consumers about the inherent risks of certain products, or ingredients in the product. The costs of labelling products fully and informatively are borne by consumers, but the benefits of labelling outweigh the costs. To understand the role of labelling in an regulatory system it is vital to consider the arrangement of the provisions protecting consumers generally before considering food laws and the labelling regulations. Furthermore, due to food being an international product, it is necessary to consider foreign countries and the manner they go about in protecting consumers. The United Nations, under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the \Vorld Health Organization (WHO), established a Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, called "Codex Alimentarius". The aim of the programme is to establish standards that can be used internationally to narrow the gap between developed countries and developing countries. To establish a standard various organs of the Codex Alimentarius are consulted. In addition, the standards have to comply with a prescribed format and follow a specified procedure. For the standard to be observed the member country has to incorporate the standard into its domestic laws. One of the advantages of the Codex Alimentarius is that the procedure to establish a standard is flexible. Australia, United Kingdom and the United States of America are member of the Codex Alimentarius. Australia, a federation of states, protects consumers by legislating either state and/or Commonwealth laws. Often there is a combination of statutes. Examples of subjects that are governed by both Commonwealth and states include false or misleading trade practices, and weights and measures. Commonwealth laws only deal with the freedom of information. Food laws are governed exclusively by state legislation. A significant area for future reform is uniformity of the state food laws. There are also other areas for future reform (eg date marking). England and Wales protect consumers by enacting statutes that relate to private and public rights. The important Acts that protect public rights are the Trade Descriptions Act, Weights and Measures Act, Consumer Protection Act, Fair Trading Act and Food Act. One of the provisions of the Criminal Courts Act is to protect personal rights when a consumer suffers personal injury, loss or damage as a result of the offender committing an criminal offence. Food labelling is governed by regulations, that are progressive. A fundamental criticism of the legislation and regulations is the lack of appropriate enforcement of the laws. The enforcement of most of the above Acts is delegated to the local weights and measures authorities. A further complication is the United Kingdom's membership of the European Economic Community. The United States of America enacts federal and state legislation. In protecting consumers in respect of food, it enacts federal legislation. The important Acts include the Fair Packaging and Labelling Act, the Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry and Poultry Products Inspection Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The United States government also encourages openness, with regards to its public agencies, by creating the Freedom of Information Act. The class action is an innovative remedy established in terms of the Civil Procedure Act. The enforcement of food laws is delegated to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The protection afforded by the United States government is complex and sophisticated. Its laws serve as model for many countries. The common law of South Africa has limited value in safeguarding consumers. Consumer protection arise mostly by way of legislation and regulations. Consumers are protected generally by the Measuring Units and National Measuring Standards Act, Trade Metrology Act, Trade Practices Act and Harmful Business Practices Act, Standards Act, Dairy Industries Act and the Marketing Act. Consumers are protected against harmful and injurious foodstuffs by the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, and the regulations promulgated in terms of the Act. There are several problems with the laws, eg lack of enforcement, lack of consumer awareness and education, and so on. An analysis of the foreign countries discussed in Part II result in the indication of twel ve themes. Part III examine the twelve themes and present solutions. Some of the solutions are based on comparisons with foreign countries discussed in Part 11. The main issues that need to be addressed in the short-term are the lack of consumer education and problems of enforcement of consumer protection. Long-term issues include the feasibility of introducing a department of consumer affairs and the provision of statutory civil remedies for consumers.
Thesis (LL.M.)-University of Natal, Durban,1990.

Defense Date: 16 April 2010
Examining Board: Prof. Christian Joerges (supervisor), University of Bremen Prof. Miguel Poiares Maduro, EUI Prof. Peter Sparkes, University of Southampton Prof. Jules Stuyck, Catholic University, Leuven
The aim of this thesis is, first, to reconsider property as a legal concept and as a social institution, by taking into consideration several insights provided by social sciences. Secondly, several regulatory measures are proposed in order to enhance an adequate protection of property. The author stars by analysing the protection of property as a fundamental right under EU law. She claims that the ECJ’s challenge is to strike the right balance between property rights and market build-up. Such a balance is to be found in the communicative network of discourses of the case-law of the ECtHR, and common traditions of Member States. Accordingly, the author suggests that the ECJ should be open to inputs from the ECtHR, namely through the ‘excessive burden’ criterion. The second regulatory analysis takes into consideration that property is intrinsically linked to consumption, and that owner is often necessarily a consumer. The function of EC consumer [protection] law, the function of European consumer policy, and the definition of the European consumer are the three interrelated questions that have guided the inquiry in Chapter III. Consumer policies, it is claimed, should be asymmetrical: they shall create benefits for those who are boundedly rational while imposing little or no harm on those who are to be considered fully rational. This distinction will provide the basis for a new standard in the assessment of the costs and benefits of regulatory options. Finally, the author inquires about situations where a conflict of properties might exist between a corporeal thing and an intellectual property right. It is claimed that lawmaking bodies must autonomously consider the interest(s) of the owner of the corporeal thing in the overall assessment of granting an intellectual property right. Before formulation of property rights, an appropriate weighing and balancing of all relevant interests is thus in need, in order to avoid normative inconsistencies.

Defence Date: 06 December 2010
Examining Board: Fabrizio CAFAGGI (Supervisor, EUI); Christian JOERGES (former EUI/University of Bremen); Colin SCOTT (University College, Dublin); Jyrki TALA (University of Turku and National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Helsinki)
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digital archive of EUI PhD theses
European Union’s (EU) legislature allows for EU level private interest governments (PIGs): stakeholders, industry, professional and co-operative bodies; and control entrepreneurs (PriCEs) to complement regulatory strategies. However, governance studies have infrequently conducted cross-sector analysis on how they assist in implementing EU policies. This study conducts cross-sector analysis of private compliance instruments (PCIs) utilised as partial implementing strategy to EU’s business regulation across consumer, worker health, safety and environmental policies. It introduces several opportunities to learn from differences. PriCEs appear operational PCIs throughout several legislative and private regulatory frameworks; regulatory sectors; targeting sector- or business-specific compliance; and employing either command-and-control or reflexive/responsive regulatory modes. However, workable 'in-house' PCIs implemented by PIGs necessitate specific market architecture and legislative pressure. Within sectors of health and safety of consumers and workers specific conditions may support in-house PCIs, which control business-specific compliance within command-and-control mode. However, within environmental sector, such in-house PCIs appear unfeasible. The EU legislature has also architected PCIs, which somewhat equate to reflexive/responsive mode, to consumer and environmental policies, whilst it has abstained from introduction of such instruments to worker health and safety due to autonomous social dialogue. Generally, at EU level, the potential for using outfitted reflexive mode PCIs appears greater than employing command-and-control mode in CPIs.

The thesis examines the enforcement of consumer rights in South Africa, and is set against the backdrop of the underlying principles and theories on the enforcement of consumer protection law. It then analyses the various forms of consumer protection law enforcement mechanisms that were in place prior to the implementation of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, and sets out why there was a need for the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act. The thesis then critically discusses the consumer protection law enforcement mechanisms introduced and/or catered for by the Consumer Protection Act. The in-depth comparative analysis against the consumer protection law enforcement dispensations in both India and the United Kingdom culminates in a critical analysis of the successes and shortcomings of consumer protection law enforcement regime in present-day South Africa; as well as recommendations (in the form of legislative amendments and practical solutions) on how the South African consumer protection enforcement framework can be improved in order to facilitate the realisation of consumer rights.
Mercantile Law
LL. D.

Defence date: 17 January 2011
Examining Board: Prof. Dr. Julia Black, London School of Economics and Political Sciences; Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Cafaggi, EUI; Prof. Dr. Hans-W. Micklitz, EUI (Supervisor); Prof. Dr. Ellen Vos, University of Maastricht.
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digital archive of EUI PhD theses
This thesis explores the impact of the increasing role of systematisation in European law on the example of EU risk regulation as a reference area. It argues that systematisation in European law has a much wider impact than what is regularly perceived as rationalisation. It creates a new integration-method, which economises European law to an extend that it effects the state-making and society building in EU law. In this respect, it also contributes to the legitimacy of EU legal action and shapes the EU constitution. Risk regulation forms an ideal test case for this thesis as it has emerged in recent years from a sector-specific and reactive field of law to an increasingly coherent and autonomous legal system at European level, which follows its own rules and procedures. While within the two main regimes of risk regulation, which I call ‘new approach’ and ‘new governance’, systematisation developed at a different speed and under different circumstances, these concepts are increasingly merged at European level. When I talk about the technique of systematisation, however, this concept requires adjustment as to the features of European law. While systematisation has been a main feature of the state-making agenda of nation-states, the same technique of systematisation in the EU nowadays creates a common market. Hence, in the EU, systematisation is in the first sense a tool of economisation. This impact of systematisation of risk regulation falls also within the EU’s competence. Although the principle of proportionality may require adjustments according to under- and over-inclusiveness of individuals and groups within systematised EU law, the EU legal order requires such systematisation in principle.

This dissertation considers the possible impact certain requirements of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (hereafter NCA) has on reckless credit lending by credit providers. The dissertation will identify problem areas created by the provisions of the NCA and the impact thereof on security or partial performances linked to the credit agreement. “Reckless credit lending” used to be a new terminology introduced in the credit market to increase consumer spending, but it is currently a well-known practice in the credit industry. The NCA aims at protecting consumers, especially against present everincreasing reckless-credit practices. However, certain provisions relating to reckless credit are mostly ambiguous and vague. The NCA is silent on the development and implementation of guidelines and policies relating to the prevention of reckless credit and the consequences of such an order on security and/or performances (whether there was partial or full performance). This study will discuss the prevention and consequence of reckless credit by referring to the NCA, articles written by various authors, as well as court decisions where related concerns were addresses by the judges concerned with this issue. Although the provisions stipulated in the amended NCA improve the position of the consumer in the credit market, the legislature should have drafted certain applicable provisions with more care and detail. A more detailed draft could circumvent vagueness in particular areas of concern.
Private Law
LL. M.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master’s Degree in Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2017.
As a result of weaker bargaining power, consumers are often exploited or treated unfairly in the business arena. Whilst consumer abuse is a global problem, South African consumers are more vulnerable due to various socio-economic conditions that affect their ability to negotiate equally in the marketplace. Factors such as poverty and illiteracy contribute to consumer abuse and is perpetuated by the discrimination which was inherent in the apartheid era. Accordingly, the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (CPA) was promulgated to promote the respect for consumer rights, create awareness, enhance consumer protection and eliminate unfair and dishonest business practices which were prevalent at the time. This study aims to investigate the implications of consumer rights for service delivery within the retail sector. The main objective of this research was to explore the levels of awareness of consumer rights and to identify consumers’ expectations and perceptions of service delivery in relation to the CPA. The research design was quantitative in nature. A questionnaire was designed to assess the levels of awareness of rights and consumers’ expectations and perceptions of the service delivered by retailers, in relation to the service quality dimensions. Using convenience sampling, data was obtained from 337 respondents in the greater Durban area. Data was analysed using SPSS version 24.0 and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the gap analysis revealed that the respondents’ perceptions of service quality was consistently lower than their expectations, in respect of several dimensions of service quality. These negative gaps indicate that the level of the delivered service had fallen below the respondents’ expectations of service quality amongst retailers. This implies that respondents’ were dissatisfied with business compliance with provisions of the CPA. Businesses are hence encouraged to take steps to ensure legal compliance, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and attaining higher levels of service excellence.
M

Defence date: 10 July 2014
Examining Board: Hans-Wolfang Micklitz, European University Institute (Supervisor); Giorgio Monti, European University Institute; Geraint Howells, University of Manchester; Viktor Kreuschitz, General Court of the European Union.
This thesis examines the relationship between the law on unfair commercial practices and consumer contract law. The thesis develops the claim that Directive 2005/29/EC, on unfair commercial practices (UCPD) has had a strong impact on the content of consumer contract law, despite the declaration concerning the independence between both branches of law contained in Article 3(2) UCPD. In order to substantiate this claim, the thesis examines the implications for consumer contract law of the main components of the regulatory regime laid down by the UCPD, namely, (1) the notion of average consumer, (2) the duty to trade fairly, (3) the duty of information and (4) the remedies. By looking both at the theoretical underpinnings and at the actual operation of this regulatory regime, the thesis casts light on the way in which the UCPD has shaped consumer contract law. The thesis further shows that this is an ongoing phenomenon whose ramifications may be far-reaching, for it implies that the UCPD is powerfully fuelling the Europeanization of contract law.

LL.M.
Despite payment cards being of a fairly recent origin,1 these instruments of payment play an increasingly significant role in commerce. With reference to credit cards, Cornelius already in 2003 stated: “They fulfil various functions that are increasingly important at a time that ecommerce is taking off at a tremendous pace.”2 Similarly criminals continuously use more inventive and technologically advanced methods to commit fraud, including counterfeit card fraud. Is the South African criminal law, however, keeping up? The aim of this study is to investigate whether the various activities which form part of the criminal business value chain relating to counterfeit card fraud, with specific reference to bank payment cards, are sufficiently criminalised in South Africa or whether the inability of our criminal law to address the challenges posed by this crime type necessitates the introduction of further legislation. In the first part of the dissertation the South African common and statutory criminal law is investigated in some depth to establish the applicability thereof on the activities forming part of the criminal business value chain relevant to counterfeit card fraud. The appropriateness of certain statutory provisions is questioned and recommendations are made to amend current legislation. An argument is also advanced for further development of the common-law offence of theft to include identity theft and the unlawful copying and subsequent use of data. Brief reference is made to the international situation. Chapter 2 is an introduction to bank payment card fraud in South Africa focusing on the most prevalent forms thereof being card-not-present fraud and counterfeit card fraud. Reference is made to the manner in which offences related to counterfeit card fraud are currently approached in our criminal courts and the limited impact prosecutions has on the prevalence of this fraud type.

This thesis explores whether and to what extent the theoretical and legal foundations of competition and consumer law can advance food animal welfare initiatives and address welfare issues associated with the religious slaughter of animals. By 'food animals' I mean the millions of chickens, cows and pigs processed and slaughtered in Australia each day for human consumption. This exploration proceeds, as an example, through an evaluation of the prohibition against misleading or deceptive conduct in section 18 of the new Australian Consumer Law ('the ACL').{u2091} Since mid-2011, the welfare of food animals has assumed a level of urgency in Australia. Disturbing evidence of Australian export cattle being abused by Indonesian abattoir workers as the cattle were slaughtered according to Islamic ritual ignited a national outcry, resulting in the Commonwealth government suspending the entire live export trade for a period of time. Similar abuses were filmed at two Australian abattoirs in 2012. Although the question posed by this thesis is narrow in its focus, the answers it anticipates, and that are explored throughout, have much wider significance for the universal task of improving the welfare of animals generally and food animals particularly. This is because in answering the central question, the thesis interrogates the normative assumptions, both philosophical and religious, that for millennia have informed the Western characterisation of animals as exploitable property. It explores the most promising contemporary philosophical challenges to this characterisation, discusses their limitations and identifies theoretical gaps that might be exploited by future scholarship for the benefit of animals. The thesis questions the protection of freedom of religious practice in democratic societies when those practices involve the slaughter of other sentient beings. It explores the difficulties experienced by governments in increasingly multicultural United Kingdom, European Union and New Zealand, in navigating this highly controversial issue. With neo-classical economic principles driving contemporary Western markets, the thesis demonstrates the incoherency experienced by governments as they pursue regulatory agendas that bring into conflict the efficient and profitable development of primary industries on the one hand and the welfare of food animals on the other. However, if an underlying cause of food animal suffering lies in market dynamics informed by neo-classical principles of efficiency and profit{u00AD} maximisation, then perhaps one indirect solution may also emerge from those same principles. Accordingly, the thesis investigates the theoretical and legal potential for consumer protection and competition policy to empower consumers in ways that will advance food animal welfare. And, it evaluates the outer limits of consumer protection jurisprudence, in the form of the prohibition against misleading or deceptive conduct in ACL s 18 in doing so. In fact, this is precisely the intention of the Commonwealth government. In its 2011 Labelling Logic Report^2 into national food labelling, the Commonwealth government has stated its intention to indirectly regulate these food animal welfare issues through market forces underpinned by competition and consumer policy. Food animal welfare concerns and religious slaughter practices are characterised by the Labelling Logic Report as 'consumer values issues' best regulated by preventing suppliers from making misleading or deceptive claims, such as 'free range', in marketing their food animal products.^3 In an increasingly competitive food product market, it is anticipated that demand for ethically produced food animal products will signal producers of consumer preferences for food animal welfare practices. In safeguarding this consumer demand, the Commonwealth government intends the ACL to play a key role in preventing suppliers from exploiting consumer demand for welfare-friendly food animal products by preventing misleading or deceptive marketing claims. Through the analytical device of hypothetical litigation commenced by the ACCC against a large national retailer of food animal products alleging misleading or deceptive conduct in food animal welfare representations associated with those products, the thesis demonstrates how case law enables the ACL to prevent 'positive' but misleading claims. However, it also explores legal difficulties associated with conceptualising silence as misleading or deceptive conduct potentially compromising the ability of the ACL to address welfare issues associated with the religious slaughter of animals. In these circumstances, if it is seriously intending to support consumer values issues associated with food animal welfare, the Commonwealth government will need to supplement the general provisions of the ACL with more specific legislative reforms empowering consumers to make accurate and informed purchasing decisions in expressing their demonstrated concern for food animal welfare. Of course, reliance upon the ACL or labelling specific consumer legislation does not absolve Western societies of the larger imperative to develop a coherent philosophy of animal welfare that commands general acceptance. With that imperative in mind, and although this is a legal and not a philosophical thesis it nevertheless proposes a re-definition of the social contract to include all sentient beings based on an 'ethic of bioinclusiveness'; a philosophical framework created by this thesis in describing a new animal welfare ethic grounded in sentience and the fundamental interdependence of human, animals and the environment. However, until an adequate philosophy of animal welfare has been created and gen.erally accepted, the thesis concludes that consumer demand, protected by the ACL and underwritten by strategic enforcement through the ACCC, has the potential to permit at least partial advances in food animal welfare. 1 Effective from 1January 2011and found in Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Section 18 relevantly prohibits a person, in trade or commerce, engaging in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive. 2 Food Labelling Law and Policy Review Panel, Labelling Logic: Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy, 27 January 2011, Commonwealth of Australia. 3 Ibid 97 [6.3].