INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents a brief summary of the directives in the field of general private law. The directives are classified based on the area of law to which each directive primarily relates. However, this does not preclude their relevance to other fields of law (for example, there is a property law provision in the late payment directive).

Contract law:

Unlawful acts:

Property law:

DIRECTIVES IN THE FIELD OF CONTRACT LAW

DOORSTEP SELLING

The purpose of the directive on doorstep selling187 is to take measures to protect the consumer against unfair commercial practices in door-to-door selling and other contracts for which a trader takes the initiative away from his business premises. The preamble states that a special feature of such sales is that as a rule it is the trader who initiates the negotiations, for which the consumer is unprepared or which he does not expect and that the consumer is oft en unable to compare the quality and price of the offer with other offers. The directive applies (see Art. 1) to contracts under which a trader supplies goods or services to a consumer, which are concluded away from the trader's normal business premises (shop), namely: – during an excursion organised by the trader away from his business premises (this includes a contract signed at a tourist complex of time-share apartments located in a town to which the consumer was invited by the trader and which is not the town where the consumer resides or the trader has its registered office: judgment in Travel Vac SL v. Sanchis, C-423/97); – during a visit by the trader to the consumer's home or to that of another consumer; – at the consumer's place of work, unless the visit takes place at the express request of the consumer.