Martijn W. Hesselink

This title explores the normative foundations of European contract law. It addresses fundamental political questions on contract law in Europe from the perspective of leading contemporary political theories. Does the law of contract need a democratic basis? To what extent should it be Europeanised? What justifies the binding force of contract and the main remedies for breach? When should weaker parties be protected? Should market transactions be considered legally void when they are immoral? Which rules of contract law should the parties be free to opt out of? Adopting a critical lens, this book interrogates utilitarian, liberal-egalitarian, libertarian, communitarian, civic republican, and discourse-theoretical political philosophies and analyses the answers they provide to these questions. It also situates these theoretical debates within the context of the political landscape of European contract law and the divergent views expressed by lawmakers, legal academics, and other stakeholders. This work moves beyond the acquis positivism, market reductionism, and private law essentialism that tend to dominate these conversations and foregrounds normative complexity. It explores the principles and values behind various arguments used in the debates on European contract law and its future to highlight the normative stakes involved in the practical question of what we, as a society, should do about contract law in Europe. In so doing, it opens up democratic space for the consideration of alternative futures for contract law in the European Union, and for better justifications for those parts of the EU contract law acquis we wish to retain.

This title explores the normative foundations of European contract law. It addresses fundamental political questions on contract law in Europe from the perspective of leading contemporary political theories. Does the law of contract need a democratic basis? To what extent should it be Europeanised? What justifies the binding force of contract and the main remedies for breach? When should weaker parties be protected? Should market transactions be considered legally void when they are immoral? Which rules of contract law should the parties be free to opt out of? Adopting a critical lens, this book interrogates utilitarian, liberal-egalitarian, libertarian, communitarian, civic republican, and discourse-theoretical political philosophies and analyses the answers they provide to these questions. It also situates these theoretical debates within the context of the political landscape of European contract law and the divergent views expressed by lawmakers, legal academics, and other stakeholders. This work moves beyond the acquis positivism, market reductionism, and private law essentialism that tend to dominate these conversations and foregrounds normative complexity. It explores the principles and values behind various arguments used in the debates on European contract law and its future to highlight the normative stakes involved in the practical question of what we, as a society, should do about contract law in Europe. In so doing, it opens up democratic space for the consideration of alternative futures for contract law in the European Union, and for better justifications for those parts of the EU contract law acquis we wish to retain.

Since its original publication in 1994, Towards a European Civil Code has become an international classic. This fourth edition of the book reflects the current state of the debate on the future of European private law and provides materials for academic teaching in this field. The Chapters of the book, written by a large number of experts on European private law, address the main topics of debate, taking into account the laws of the European Member States, the acquis communautaire in the area of private law and sets of model rules, such as the Principles of European Contract Law and the Principles of European Tort Law. Moreover, in this fourth edition of the volume, authors pay particular attention to recent developments regarding the drafting of a Common Frame of Reference for European private law. With few exceptions, the existing Chapters have been updated, and new contributions have been included on: * private regulation; * the influence of primary EU law on private law; * competition and contract law; * proceduralisation of private law; * the legislative competence of the EU in the field of private law; * constitutional aspects of a European Civil Code; * the notion of damage; * the law and economics of harmonizing European private law; * defects of consent in contract law; * hardship and modification of the contract; * financial services; * suretyships by private persons; * vicarious liability; * liability for land and structures; and * good faith acquisition of movables. Thus, this new, revised and expanded edition of Towards a European Civil Code forms a primary point of reference for policy makers, practitioners, academics and students engaged in matters of European private law.