Common European Sales Law - BEUC's preliminary Position on the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on a (COM(2011) 635 final)

On October 11 2011, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on a Common European Sales Law (CESL).

BEUC recommendations and concerns include: 

• Optional regulation is inappropriate for consumer contracts.
• There is no need for a new instrument on consumer sales laws, as the 2011 Consumer Rights Directive, the 1999 Consumer Sales directive and the 1993 Unfair Contract Terms directive already provide a solid EU legal framework.
• Standard European contracts for consumer e-commerce transactions (jointly agreed by business and consumer representatives) would be a better, less intrusive, less costly and much more swiftly applicable solution.
• Business education about distance selling rules and the impact of the Rome I regulation should be initiated to reach out to all SMEs.
• Additional listed in the Commission’s new 2012 e-commerce strategy (improve broadband access, enable better enforcement of consumer law, promote reliable and efficient payment and delivery systems and so on) should be launched and implemented.