Suchergebnisse

This preliminary ruling deals with the conditions for an exemption from liability for defective products pursuant to Directive 85/374/EEC.
The plaintiff, Mr Veedfald, was due to undergo a kidney transplant operation at a hospital. After a kidney had been removed from the donor, in this case Mr Veedfald's brother, the kidney was prepared for transplantation through flushing with a perfusion fluid designed for that purpose. This fluid proved to be defective and a kidney artery became blocked during the flushing process, making the kidney unusable for any transplant. The fluid had been manufactured in the laboratories of the dispensary of another hospital, and prepared with a view to its use in the hospital. The defendant is owner and manager of both hospitals. Relying on the Danish product liability law, Mr Veedfald claimed damages from the defendant.

The European Court of Justice annulled the Tobacco Advertising Directive because it could not be justified as an internal market measure. This article contrasts that decision with a couple of US Supreme Court cases that also struck down laws that had been enacted under their Commerce Clause. The approaches of the courts are compared. The different political contexts are noted and in particular comment is made of the fact that the US federal government is subject to greater direct democratic controls that the Community legislators might favour a more relaxed approach from their courts. In Europe the lack of accountability means that the Court is right to be vigilant on the use of powers, but it should be careful not to become too interventionist. Europe has a young and flexible constitution, which should be amended to give clearer powers in social policy areas where Community activity is seen as desirable rather than these policies having to be treated as internal market measures.

Abstract. The author has mixed views on product liability, which whilst giving justice to some consumers depends of the forensic lottery and the 'good fortune' of being injured by the product of a solvent producer. Yet he argues that the EC directive and its UK implementation are far from perfect and are in need of reassessment in 1995.
Résumé. Les différents regards que porte l'auteur sur la responsabilité du fait des produits lui permettent de retenir que la justice qui est rendue aux consommateurs dépend de la loterie judiciaire et de la 'chance' d'avoir été atteint par le produit d'un producteur solvable. Dès lors il estime que la directive communautaire et son implantation au Grande Bretagne sont loin d'être parfaits et nécessitent d'être réévaluées en 1995.
Zusammenfassung. Der Autor hat einige Gesichtspunkte zur Produkthaftung zusammengestellt, die – während sie einigen Verbrauchem Gerechtigkeit zu Teil werden läßt – von einer 'forensischen Lottery' und dem 'guten Glück' abhängt, durch das Produkt eines solventen Herstellers geschädigt zu sein. Ferner führt er aus, daß die EG-Richtlinie und ihre Umsetzung in England weit von der Perfektion entfemt ist und eine Neubewertung im Jahr 1995 braucht.

chapter 1 Introduction -- chapter 2 Consumer Safety -- chapter 3 Consumer Contracts - General Principles -- chapter 4 Advertising -- chapter 5 Trade Practices -- chapter 6 Financial Services -- chapter 7 Tourism -- chapter 8 Access to Justice -- chapter 9 Conclusions -- chapter 10 Epilogue.

1. Autonomy and fairness : the case of public statements / Chris Willett -- 2. The strategy and the harmonization process within the European legal system : party autonomy and information requirements / Paola Gozzo -- 3. Evolution of party autonomy in a legal system under transformation : recent developments in Poland under special consideration of the Package Travel Directive / Katarzyna Michaowska -- 4. From truth in lending to responsible lending / lain Ramsay -- 5. EC directives for self-employed commercial agents and on time-sharing : apples, oranges and the core of the information overload problem / Bettina Wendlandt -- 6. Information requirements in the E-Commerce Directive and the proposed directive on unfair commercial practices / Annette Nordhausen -- 7. Contractual disclosure and remedies under the Unfair Contract Terms Directive / Edoardo Ferrante -- 8. Information disclosure about the quality of goods : duty or encouragement? / Christian Twigg-Flesner -- 9. Information and product liability : a game of Russian roulette? / Geraint Howells -- 10. Duties to inform versus party autonomy : reversing the paradigm (from free consent to informed consent)? : a comparative account of French and English law / Ruth Sefton-Green -- 11. The information requirements in the principles of European private law 'long-term commercial contracts : commercial agency, distribution, franchise' : a model for a European civil code? / Andre Janssen.