European Consumer Protection Theory and Practice

This volume analyses the theory and practice of European consumer protection in the context of consolidation initiatives seen, inter alia, in the revision of the Consumer Acquis, the Draft Common Frame of Reference and the proposal for an EU Consumer Rights Directive. The issues addressed are all the more significant given the revisions to the proposed Directive, the appointment of an 'Expert Group on a Common Frame of Reference' and the Commission's 2010 Green Paper on progress towards a European Contract Law. The contributions to this volume point to the arrival of a contested moment in EU consumer protection, questioning the arrival of the 'empowered' consumer and uncovering the fault lines between consumer protection and other goals. What emerges is a model of poly-contextual EU consumer protection law, a model that challenges the assumptions in both the 2010 Green Paper and the revised proposed Consumer Rights Directive.

• Exploration of the European dimension to consumer protection deepens readers' understanding of its importance in the EU and its place in an integrating market

• Comparative insights into consumer protection in common law and civil law jurisdictions alert readers to the challenges facing proposals for greater harmonisation, consolidation and codification of private law in this area

• Analysis of the broader dimensions of European private law increases readers' understanding of the scope of protective mechanisms in private law