Abstract
Optional regulation of standard contract terms gives rise to several functional peculiarities and to a number of difficult systematic questions. More specifically, the present chapter deals with the draft rules on standard contract terms in the proposed Common European Sales Law (CESL). Rather than commenting on these rules in substantially, however, its focus is precisely on these functional questions. We proceed in three steps, starting with an overview of the existing European rules on standard contract terms, including the draft provisions of the CESL. In a second step, we examine whether the CESL rules themselves could potentially become subject of control under (national) standard contract terms legislation, given that these rules are provided in a standard format, and that they are adopted by the contracting parties’ opt-in basis. Thirdly and finally, we briefly analyse the mode of function of the CESL’s own rules on standard contract terms. These three steps will show that according to the European legislator’s design of the opt-in mechanism, two different optional contract law regimes operate within the very same national legal system. This two-foldness implies ambiguities, because the control of standard terms strongly interacts with substantial rules of contract law. This interaction is a necessary, unavoidable consequence of the embeddedness of the optional regime in national contract law.
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Notes
- 1.
See especially H-W Micklitz, ‘Reforming European Union Unfair Terms Legislation in Consumer Contracts’ (2010) 6 European Review of Contract Law 347; H-W Micklitz, ‘Some Considerations on Cassis de Dijon and the Control of Unfair Contract Terms in Consumer Contracts’ in K Boele-Woelki and W Grosheide (eds), The Future of European Contract Law (Aalphen ad Rijn, Kluwer, 2007) 387; H-W Micklitz, ‘AGB-Gesetz und die Richtlinie über mißbräuchliche Vertragsklauseln in Verbraucherverträgen – Eine Skizze’ (1993) Zeitschrift für Europäisches Privatrecht 522.
- 2.
See, eg, H-W Micklitz and F Cafaggi (eds), The European Private Law after the Common Frame of Reference (Cheltenham, Elgar, 2010); R Brownsword, H-W Micklitz, L Niglia and S Weatherill (eds), Foundations of European Private Law (Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2011); H-W Micklitz (ed), The Many Concepts of Social Justice in European Private Law (Cheltenham, Elgar, 2011).
- 3.
On their substance, see references n. 28.
- 4.
JJ Ganuza and F Gomez, ‘Optional law for firms and consumers: An economic analysis of opting into the Common European Sales Law’ (2013) 50 Common Market Law Review 29; J Smits, ‘Party choice and the Common European Sales Law, or: How to prevent the CESL from becoming a lemon on the law market’ (2013) 50 Common Market Law Review 51; H Eidenmüller, ‘What Can Be Wrong with an Option? An Optional Common European Sales Law as a Regulatory Tool’ (2013) 50 Common Market Law Review 69; S Grundmann, ‘Costs and Benefits of an Optional European Sales Law’ (2013) 50 Common Market Law Review 225; MW Hesselink, ‘An Optional Instrument on EU Contract Law: Could it Increase Legal Certainty and Foster Cross-Border Trade?’ in MW Hesselink, A van Hoek, MBM Loos and AF Salomons (eds), Het Groenboek Europees contractenrecht: naar een optioneel instrument? (Den Haag, Boom Juridische uitgevers, 2011) 9.
- 5.
Legislative preparatory work for the Directive lasted nearly 20 years; for a detailed account see N Reich and H-W Micklitz (eds), Europäisches Verbraucherrecht, 4th ed (Baden-Baden, Nomos, 2003) 495–498.
- 6.
Similar T Pfeiffer, ‘Unfaire Vertragsbestimmungen’ (2011) 10 European Review of Private Law, 835, 837 (‘durchgehender Entwicklungsstrang von der Klausel-RL über die Acquis-Principles und die Principles of European Contract Law sowie den DCFR zur Feasibility Study’).
- 7.
[1993] OJ L 95/29. Similar H Collins, ‘The Directive on Unfair Contract Terms: Implementation, Effectiveness and Harmonization’ in H Collins (ed), Standard Contract Terms in Europe: A Basis for and a Challenge to European Contract Law (Aalphen ad Rijn, Kluwer, 2008) 1 (‘a watershed in the evolution of European Law’).
- 8.
See, for instance C Twigg-Flesner, The Europeanisation of Contract Law (London, Routledge, 2013) 81; several possible interpretations of this test have been suggested by R Brownsword, G Howells and T Wilhelmsson, ‘Between Market and Welfare: Some Reflections on Article 3 of the EC Directive on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts’ in C Willett (ed), Aspects of Fairness in Contract (Cambridge, Blackstone, 1996) 25, 31.
- 9.
One important exception is English law, see in detail M Dean, ‘Unfair Contract Terms: The European Approach’ (1993) 56 Modern Law Review 581, 584 ff. For a general overview, see M Ebers ‘Unfair Contract Terms Directive (93/13)’ in H Schulte-Nölke, C Twigg-Flessner and M Ebers (eds), EC Consumer Law Compendium (Munich, Sellier, 2008) 197, 232.
- 10.
Implicitly ECJ Joined Cases C-240/98 to C-244/98 Océano Grupo [2000] ECR I-4941 para 22; for a thorough discussion with further references see K Riesenhuber, Europäisches Vertragsrecht, 2nd ed (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2006) paras 627–633.
- 11.
Opinion of AG Geelhoed, Case C-478/99 Commission v Sweden [2002] ECR I-4149, para 29.
- 12.
See generally A Röthel, ‘Die Konkretisierung von Generalklauseln’ in K Riesenhuber (ed), Europäische Methodenlehre, 2nd ed (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2010) § 12 paras 31–36; see also S Grundmann, ‘The General Clause or Standard in EC Contract Law Directives – A Survey on Some Important Legal Measures and Aspects in EC Law’ in S Grundmann and D Mazeaud (eds), General Clauses and Standards In European Contract Law (Aalphen ad Rijn, Kluwer, 2005) 141, 155 ff. For a recent example, see ECJ Case C-415/11 Mohamed Aziz v Catalunycaixa [2013] ECR I-0000 (not yet reported), para 69.
- 13.
H-W Micklitz and N Reich, ‘Unfair Terms in the Draft Common Frame of Reference’ (2008) Juridica International, Law Review University of Tartu 58.
- 14.
ECJ Case C-237/02 Freiburger Kommunalbauten GmbH Baugesellschaft & Co. KG v Ludger Hofstetter and Ulrike Hofstetter [2004] ECR I-3403, para 22; on this case, see e.g. P Rott, ‘What is the Role of the ECJ in European Private Law?’ (2005) 1 Hanse Law Review 6; MW Hesselink, ‘Case note on ECJ Case C-237/02 [2004] ECR 1-3403 (01-04-2004), (Freiburger Kommunalbauten v Hofstetter)’ (2006) 3 European Review of Contract Law 366.
- 15.
MBM Loos, ‘Full Harmonisation as a Regulatory Concept and its Consequences for the National Legal Orders: The Example of the Consumer Rights Directive’ in M Stürner (ed), Vollharmonisierung im Europäischen Verbraucherrecht (Munich, Sellier, 2010) 47, 92, with further references.
- 16.
H-W Micklitz and N Reich, ‘Unfair Terms in the Draft Common Frame of Reference’, 58.
- 17.
ECJ Case C-478/99 Commission v Sweden [2002] ECR I-4147 paras 21 and 23.
- 18.
E-M Kieninger, ‘Die Vollharmonisierung des Rechts Allgemeiner Geschäftsbedingungen - eine Utopie?’ (2009) 73 Rabels Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht 793; A Mittwoch, Vollharmonisierung und Europäisches Privatrecht (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2013) 236 ff.
- 19.
Arts 6:101 and 6:301 para. 2 Acquis Principles; Arts 4:110 PECL and II-9:405 DCFR; more extensively T Pfeiffer, ‘Non-negotiated terms’ in R Schulze (ed), The Common Frame of Reference and Existing European Contract Law (Munich, Sellier, 2 ed, 2009) 183, 188 et ff; F Zoll, ‘Unfair Terms in the Acquis Principles and Draft Common Frame of Reference’ (2008) Juridica International, Law Review University of Tartu 69, 71.
- 20.
Compare Art. 6:101 Acquis Principles; Art. II-1:110 DCFR; see also D Mazeaud and N Sauphanor-Brouillaud, ‘Art. 7’ in R Schulze (ed), Common European Sales Law (CESL) – Commentary (Munich, Beck, 2012) para 4.
- 21.
Art. II-9:103 (1) DCFR; see Zoll, ‘Unfair Terms’, 73.
- 22.
Art. 6:201; see Micklitz and Reich, ‘Unfair Terms in the Draft Common Frame of Reference’, 60.
- 23.
More extensively discussed in M Mekki and M Kloepfer-Pelèse, ‘Good Faith and Fair Dealing in the DCFR’ (2008) 4 European Review of Contract Law 338.
- 24.
Similar J Stuyck, ‘Unfair Terms’ in G Howells and R Schulze (eds), Modernising and Harmonising Consumer Contract Law (Munich, Sellier, 2009) 115, 126; see also T Pfeiffer, ‘Unfaire Vertragsbestimmungen’ (2011) 19 European Review of Private Law 835, 849 (no additional requirement).
- 25.
For a general functional analysis of non-binding instruments in European private law, see A Schwartze, ‘Europäisierung des Zivilrechts durch ‘soft law‘ – Zu den Wirkungen von Restatements, Principles, Modellgesetzen und anderen nicht verbindlichen Instrumenten’ in T Eger and H-B Schäfer (eds), Ökonomische Analyse der Europäischen Zivilrechtsentwicklung (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2007) 130; see also O Lando, ‘The Structure and the Legal Values of the Common Frame of Reference (CFR)’ (2007) 3 European Review of Contract Law 245, 256; Mekki and Kloepfer-Pelèse, ‘Good Faith and Fair Dealing in the DCFR’, 339.
- 26.
See, for instance, H Schulte-Nölke, ‘From the Acquis Communautaire to the Common Frame of Reference – The Contribution of the Acquis Group to the DCFR’ (2008) Juridica International, Law Review University of Tartu 27; L Anatoniolli and F Fiorentini, ‘Introduction’ in L Anatoniolli and F Fiorentini (eds), A Factual Assessment of the Draft Common Frame of Reference (Munich, Sellier, 2011) 1, 34–39; and F Möslein, ‘Legal Innovation in European Contract Law: Within and Beyond the (Draft) Common Frame of Reference’ in Micklitz and Cafaggi (eds), The European Private Law after the Common Frame of Reference, 173, 176–179.
- 27.
Extensively discussed, with respect to the DCFR: H Muir-Watt and R Sefton-Green, ‘Fitting the Frame: An optional instrument, party choice and mandatory/default rules’ in Micklitz and Cafaggi (eds), The European Private Law after the Common Frame of Reference, 201, 206-210; also more generally in G Cordero-Moss, Boilerplate Clauses, International Commercial Contracts and the Applicable Law (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011).
- 28.
With respect to the DCFR, see S Grundmann, ‘The Structure of the DCFR – Which Approach for Today’s Contract Law?’ (2008) 4 European Review of Contract Law 225, 227 ff; Anatoniolli and Fiorentini, ‘Introduction’, 36.
- 29.
For more extensive accounts, see P Hellwege and L Miller, ‘Control of Standard Contract Terms’ in G Dannemann and S Vogenauer (eds), The Common European Sales Law in Context (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013) 423; MBM Loos, ‘Incorporation and Unfairness of Standard Contract Terms Under the Proposal for a Common European Sales Law’ in L Moccia (ed), The Making of European Private Law: Why, How, What, Who (Munich, Sellier, 2013) 191; F Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’ in M Schmidt-Kessel (ed), Ein einheitliches europäisches Kaufrecht? (Munich, Sellier, 2012) 255; Pfeiffer, ‘Non-negotiated terms’, 183.
- 30.
Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 284; also sceptical are H Eidenmüller, E-M Kieninger, N Jansen, G Wagner, and R Zimmermann, ‘Der Vorschlag für eine Verordnung über ein Gemeinsames Europäisches Kaufrecht: Defizite der neuesten Textstufe des europäischen Vertragsrechts’ (2012) Juristenzeitung 269, 279 ff; MW Hesselink, ‘Unfair terms in contracts between businesses’ in R Schulze and J Stuyck (eds), Towards a European Contract Law (Munich, Sellier, 2011) 131, 147.
- 31.
More extensively (and in comparison also to the Feasibility Study): Hellwege and Miller, ‘Control of Standard Contract Terms’, 430–436.
- 32.
Mekki and Kloepfer-Pelèse, ‘Good Faith and Fair Dealing in the DCFR’, 345 ff. (subjective vs. objective standard); see also R Brownsword, ‘Regulating Transactions: Good Faith and Fair Dealing’ in G Howells and R Schulze (eds), Modernising and Harmonising Consumer Contract Law (Munich, Sellier, 2009) 87.
- 33.
Notwithstanding the recent rewording of that provision by the Legal Affairs Committee: The definition now reads: ‘“good faith and fair dealing” means a standard of conduct characterised by honesty, openness and, in so far as may be appropriate, reasonable consideration for the interests of the other party to the transaction or relationship in question’, see Amendment 37 as proposed by the European Parliament’s report on the proposal for a regulation on a Common European Sales Law, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201309/20130925ATT71873/20130925ATT71873EN.pdf.
- 34.
ibid.
- 35.
COM(2011) 635 final, 4.
- 36.
For details, see C Herresthal, ‘Das geplante europäische Vertragsrecht: Die optionale Ausgestaltung des sog. Optionalen Instruments’ (2011) Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht 1347.
- 37.
F Möslein, Dispositives Recht – Zwecke, Strukturen und Methoden (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck 2011) 72 ff.
- 38.
Sceptical European Law Institute (ed), Statement on the Proposal for a Regulation on a Common European Sales Law (2012), www.europeanlawinstitute.eu, 21 ff.
- 39.
In more detail, see, for example: A Stadler, ‘Anwendungsvoraussetzungen und Anwendungsbereich des CESL’ (2012) 212 Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 473, 475 ff; W Ernst, ‘Der ‘Common Frame of Reference’ aus juristischer Sicht’ (2008) 208 Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 248, 263–266. See also C von Bar, ‘Coverage and Structure of the Academic Common Frame of Reference’ (2007) 3 European Review of Contract Law 350.
- 40.
For instance by pushing a ‘blue button’: H Schulte-Nölke, ‘EC Law on the Formation of Contract – from the Common Frame of Reference to the ‘Blue Button’’ (2007) 3 European Review of Contract Law 332, 348 ff.
- 41.
See, inter alia, G-P Calliess, ‘Article 3 Rome I’ in id (ed), Rome Regulations. Commentary on the European Rules of the Conflict of Laws (Aalphen ad Rijn, Kluwer, 2011) 73 f; H Heiss, ‘Party Autonomy’ in F Ferrari and S Leible (eds), Rome I Regulation (Munich, Sellier, 2009) 1, 2, 9–12; O Lando and P Nielsen, ‘The Rome I Regulation’ (2008) 45 Common Market Law Review 1687, 1694–1698; G Rühl, ‘Rechtswahlfreiheit im europäischen Kollisionsrecht’ in D Baetge, J von Hein and M von Hinden (eds), Die richtige Ordnung. Festschrift für Jan Kropholler (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2008) 187, 189 f.
- 42.
- 43.
See COM(2011) 635 final, 6: ‘The Rome I Regulation and Rome II Regulation will continue to apply and will be unaffected by the proposal. It will still be necessary to determine the applicable law for cross-border contracts [….] The Common European Sales Law will be a second contract law regime within the national law of each Member State’.
- 44.
For an affirmative answer, see S Whittaker, ‘An Optional Instrument of European Contract Law an Freedom of Contract’ (2011) 7 European Review of Contract Law 371, 387 ff; MBM Loos, ‘Scope and application of the Optional Instrument’ in D Voinot and J Sénéchal (eds), Vers un droit européen des contrats spéciaux/ Towards a European Law of Specific Contracts (Brussels, Larcier, 2012) 117, 136-138; for a negative view, however, see J Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument of European Contract Law: Opting-In through Standard Terms’ (2012) 8 European Review of Contract Law 82.
- 45.
T Pfeiffer, ‘Comment on n. 1 lit. q)’, in E Grabitz and M Hilf (eds), Das Recht der Europäischen Union, 40th ed (Munich, Beck, 2009) para 160; see also F Graf von Westphalen and G Thüsing, ‘Rechtswahlklauseln’ in id (eds), Vertragsrecht und AGB-Klauselwerke, 33th ed (Munich, Beck, 2013) para 23; E Jayme, ‘Inhaltskontrolle von Rechtswahlklauseln in AGB’ in T Rauscher and H-P Mansel (eds), Festschrift für Werner Lorenz zum 80. Geburtstag (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 1991) 435; D Martiny, ‘Europäisches Internationales Vertragsrecht – Erosion der Römischen Konvention?’ (1995) Zeitschrift für Europäisches Privatrecht 107, 117.
- 46.
Pfeiffer, ‘Comment on n. 1 lit. q)’, para 161; similar W Wurmnest, ‘§ 307’ in FJ Säcker and R Rixecker (eds), Münchener Kommentar zum BGB, 6th ed (Munich, Beck, 2012) para 238.
- 47.
Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 85.
- 48.
See 4.2.1.
- 49.
For a different view, see Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 84 ff.
- 50.
For example, the original German law on standard terms enacted in 1976 contained an expicit prohibition of standardized choice-of-law clauses in § 10 no 8 AGBG (repealed in 1986): See Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 84 ff.
- 51.
Differently, again, Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 85 ff.
- 52.
Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 83.
- 53.
See, for instance, N Reich, ‘Kreditbürgschaft und Transparenz’ (1995) Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 1857, 1859; O Remien, ‘AGB-Gesetz und Richtlinie über mißbräuchliche Verbrauchervertragsklauseln in ihrem europäischen Umfeld’ (1994) Zeitschrift für Europäisches Privatrecht 34, 45; more recently A von Vogel, Verbrauchervertragsrecht und allgemeines Vertragsrecht (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2006) 81 ff.
- 54.
H-W Eckert, ‘Die EG-Richtlinie über mißbräuchliche Klauseln in Verbraucherverträgen und ihre Auswirkungen auf das deutsche Recht’ (1993) Wertpapier-Mitteilungen 1070, 1072; E Kapnopoulou, Das Recht der mißbräuchlichen Klauseln (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 1997) 97; W Nasall, ‘Die Anwendung der EU-Richtlinie über mißbräuchliche Klauseln in Verbraucherverträgen’ (1995) Juristenzeitung 689, 691; G de Nova, ‘Italian Contract Law and the European Directive on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts’ (1995) European Review of Private Law 221; K Riesenhuber, System und Prinzipien des Europäischen Vertragsrechts (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2003) 432; M Schmidt, Konkretisierung von Generalklauseln im europäischen Privatrecht (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2009) 209 ff; differently, however: Reich and Micklitz, Europäisches Verbraucherrecht, para 502 et ff.
- 55.
T Pfeiffer, ‘Comment on Art. 1 Unfair Terms Directive’ in Grabitz and Hilf (eds), Das Recht der Europäischen Union, para 25.
- 56.
See Reich, ‘Kreditbürgschaft und Transparenz’, 1859; Pfeiffer, ‘Comment on Art. 1 Unfair Terms Directive’, para 25 for various examples.
- 57.
Different, however, de Nova, ‘Italian Contract Law’, 225 ff. (with respect to Art 1373 Codice Civile).
- 58.
In a similar vein S Whittaker, ‘An Optional Instrument’, 388; differently, however, Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 83 ff.
- 59.
Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 83.
- 60.
In much more detail on this economic rationale: P Leyens and H-B Schäfer, ‘Inhaltskontrolle allgemeiner Geschäftsbedingungen: Rechtsökonomische Überlegungen zu einer einheitlichen Konzeption von BGB und DCFR’ (2010) 210 Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 771, 779–786.
- 61.
In this sense Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 83; see also F Möslein, ‘Inhaltskontrolle und Inhaltsregeln im Schuldvertragsrecht’ in K Riesenhuber and Y Nishitani (eds), Wandlungen oder Erosion der Privatautonomie (Berlin, de Gruyter, 2007) 233, 241.
- 62.
Cf. J Basedow, ‘§ 310’ in Säcker and Rixecker (eds) Münchener Kommentar zum BGB, para. 60.
- 63.
With respect to German law, note that the fiction in § 310 para. 3 no 1 BGB produces similar results as far as consumer contracts are concerned.
- 64.
Differently, again, Basedow, ‘The Optional Instrument’, 83.
- 65.
Möslein, ‘Inhaltskontrolle und Inhaltsregeln’, 240.
- 66.
The provision did not raise much concern so far; see, for instance: C Wendehorst, ‘Regelungen über den Vertragsinhalt (Teil III CESL-Entwurf)’ in C Wendehorst and B Zöchling-Jud (eds), Am Vorabend eines Gemeinsamen Europäischen Kaufrechts (Vienna, Manz, 2011) 87, 100 (‘Selbstverständlichkeit’).
- 67.
Extensively on this exemption: Pfeiffer, ‘Comment on Art. 1 Unfair Terms Directive’, paras 28 ff.
- 68.
See, for example, Wurmnest, ‘§ 307’, para 7.
- 69.
Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 271.
- 70.
Recital 13 of the Unfair Terms Directive, see thereon Riesenhuber, Europäisches Vertragsrecht, 255 (para 613: ‘vom Gesetzgeber nicht gewollte mittelbare Vertragsrechtskontrolle’, emphasis in original).
- 71.
This incorporation also raises further concerns, see Eidenmüller et al. ‘Der Vorschlag für eine Verordnung über ein Gemeinsames Europäisches Kaufrecht’, 279.
- 72.
Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 271.
- 73.
See already above, 4.2.1.; more extensively Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 281–283.
- 74.
More extensively Möslein, Dispositives Recht, 40 ff, 118 ff; see also J Schapp, ‘Die Leitbildfunktion des dispositiven Rechts für die Inhaltskontrolle von Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen nach § 9 Abs. 2 AGB-Gesetz’ (1978) Der Betrieb 621; G Weick, ‘Die Idee des Leitbildes und die Typisierung im gegenwärtigen Vertragsrecht’ (1978) Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 11.
- 75.
Seminally, L Raiser, Das Recht der allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen (Bad Homburg, Gentner, 1961) 295; see also C-W Canaris, ‘Wandlungen des Schuldvertragsrechts – Tendenzen zu seiner „Materialisierung“’ (2000) 200 Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 273, 285; J Drexl, Die wirtschaftliche Selbstbestimmung des Verbrauchers (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck 1998) 305; K Larenz, Richtiges Recht (Munich, Beck, 1979) 76 f; J Schapp, Grundfragen der Rechtsgeschäftslehre (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 1986) 94–99.
- 76.
From a comparative perspective: Hellwege and Miller, ‘Control of Standard Contract Terms’, 442 ff; Möslein, ‘Inhaltskontrolle und Inhaltsregeln’, 242–247.
- 77.
Riesenhuber, Europäisches Vertragsrecht, 262 f.
- 78.
See, on the one hand, Wurmnest, ‘§ 307’, paras. 65 ff, with further references ; on the other hand ECJ Case C-415/11 Mohamad Aziz v Catalunycaixa [2013] ECR-0000 (not yet reported), para. 68: ‘[...] it must in particular be considered what rules of national law would apply in the absence of an agreement by the parties in that regard.’
- 79.
See III.1.
- 80.
Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 280.
- 81.
Cf. again Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 281.
- 82.
Somewhat differently interpreted in Eidenmüller et al. ‘Der Vorschlag für eine Verordnung über ein Gemeinsames Europäisches Kaufrecht’, 279 (it will force national legislators to approximate their contract laws to the European standard).
- 83.
Seemingly similar is Wendehorst, ‘Regelungen über den Vertragsinhalt’, 101 (no reduction of invalid provisions to their legally permitted core); more generally Möslein, Dispositives Recht, 190–192; Möslein, ‘Inhaltskontrolle und Inhaltsregeln’, 250 ff.
- 84.
Cf Möslein, ‘Kontrolle vorformulierter Vertragsklauseln’, 285.
- 85.
Seminally K Larenz, ‘Ergänzende Vertragsauslegung und dispositives Recht’ (1963) Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 737; in summary: Möslein, Dispositives Recht, 433–437.
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Möslein, F. (2014). Optional Regulation of Standard Contract Terms. In: Purnhagen, K., Rott, P. (eds) Varieties of European Economic Law and Regulation. Studies in European Economic Law and Regulation, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04903-8_4
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