Tort Law in the European Union

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopedia of Laws, this book provides ready access to loss compensation under (primary and secondary) European Union Law. This important branch of law tackles questions which today concern private and public lawyers throughout Europe and beyond.

Following a general introduction into the structure and institutions of the European Union, the monograph develops in its first part the law of liability for breach of EU law. This addresses primarily the non-contractual liability of the Union and its institutional organs under Art. 340(2) TFEU. Breach of law liability of the Union means responsibility for unlawful public acts without fault by EU legislature, EU executive, and, in principle, EU judiciary. Next to Union liability the monograph covers liability of Member States for breach of EU law in its variants developed by the ECJ. Finally the complex field of liability of private parties for breach of EU law is addressed. The applicability of general principles of the law of damages – causation, proof, limitation, prescription – is considered. The second part deals with the law of harmonized civil liability, focusing on EU product liability as its centerpiece.

Its succinct yet scholarly nature, as well as the practical quality of the information it provides, make this book a valuable resource for lawyers in the European Union. Academics and researchers will also welcome this very useful guide, and will appreciate its value not only as a contribution to comparative law but also as a stimulus to harmonization of the rules on tort.