
doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1598404
The landscape of European Consumer Law is changing. In October 2008, the European Commission presented a proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights, which aims at revising the Doorstep Selling Directive 85/577/EEC, the Distance Selling Directive 97/7/EC, the Consumer Sales Directive 1999/44/EC and the Unfair Contract Terms Directive 93/13/EEC. The planned Directive merges these four Directives into one single horizontal instrument regulating common aspects (such as the definition of “consumer” and “trader”, information duties and rights of withdrawal) in a systematic fashion. In contrast to the existing Directives, the proposal moves away from the minimum harmonisation approach, introducing instead the principle of full harmonisation (i.e. Member States cannot maintain or adopt provisions diverging from those laid down in the Directive). Against this background, this paper provides an overview on the proposal and discusses the consequences the shift from minimum to full harmonisation would have on national consumer law.(El Derecho de consumo europeo esta siendo objeto de una completa revision. En octubre de 2008, la Comision europea hizo publica una “Propuesta de Directiva sobre derechos de consumidores”, que pretende revisar la Dir. 85/577/CEE, sobre negocios celebrados fuera de establecimiento comercial; la Dir. 97/7/CE, sobre contratos a distancia; la Dir. 99/44/CE, sobre garantias en las ventas de consumo; y la Dir. 93/13/CEE, sobre clausulas abusivas. La Propuesta fusiona estas Directivas en un unico instrumento horizontal para regular los aspectos comunes a todas ellas, por ejemplo, en lo que atane a las definiciones “consumidor” y “comerciante”; a la informacion precontractual; o al derecho de desistimiento. A su vez, la Comision desea abandonar la tecnica de la armonizacion minima seguida hasta la fecha e introducir la de plena armonizacion. En otras palabras, los Estados miembros no podran mantener o introducir, en su legislacion nacional, disposiciones contrarias a las establecidas en la Directiva. Las paginas que siguen tienen por objeto proporcionar una vision general de esa Propuesta y discutir el impacto que tendria en los Estados miembros la adopcion del principio de armonizacion plena si la misma llegara a aprobarse.)
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