GERAINT HOWELLS

In Rethinking EU Consumer Law, the authors analyse the development of EU consumer law on the basis of a number of clear themes, which are then traced through specific areas. Recurring themes include the artificiality of the EU’s consumer image, the problems created by the drive towards maximum harmonisation, and the unexpected effects EU Consumer Law has had on national law. The book argues that EU Consumer Law has the potential of enhancing the protecting of consumers throughout the EU and could offer a model for consumer law elsewhere in the world, but in order to unlock this potential, there needs to be a rethink with regard to the EU’s approach to consumer law and policy.

In Rethinking EU Consumer Law, the authors analyse the development of EU consumer law on the basis of a number of clear themes, which are then traced through specific areas. Recurring themes include the artificiality of the EU’s consumer image, the problems created by the drive towards maximum harmonisation, and the unexpected effects EU Consumer Law has had on national law. The book argues that EU Consumer Law has the potential of enhancing the protecting of consumers throughout the EU and could offer a model for consumer law elsewhere in the world, but in order to unlock this potential, there needs to be a rethink with regard to the EU’s approach to consumer law and policy.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive is the most important directive in the field of trade practices to have emerged from the EC but it builds upon European activity which has sought to regulate trade practices on both a sectoral and horizontal level. It is an umbrella provision, which uses general clauses to protect consumers. How effective this approach is and how it relates the existing acquis are fundamental issues for debate. This work provides a critical appraisal of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive linking discussion of it to general debates about how fair trading should be regulated. It explains how the Directive fits into the existing acquis. It also examines national traditions where these are necessary to explain the European approach, as in the case of general clauses. The book will be a valuable tool for any student of consumer law seeking to understand the thinking behind the directive and how it will affect national laws. It will also influence policy makers by suggesting how the directive should be interpreted and what policy lies behind its formulation. Businesses and their advisers will use the book as a means of understanding the new regulatory climate post-the directive.

Addressing three central questions of legal policy, this is an interesting and comprehensive analysis of the need to control and regulate tobacco consumption. The core issues of the book are litigation vs. regulation with a comparative analysis of the US and European approaches; the challenge to regulate tobacco as a lawful product within constitutional limits to promote the reduction of risks to health and the extent to which consumers should be entrusted with information to make their own informed choices. Suggesting dialogue and transparency in policy development, this book covers advertising, psychology, ethics, economics and health in addition to the central debate about the litigation and regulation of tobacco and the role of consumer protection law and private law.

Addressing three central questions of legal policy, this is an interesting and comprehensive analysis of the need to control and regulate tobacco consumption. The core issues of the book are litigation vs. regulation with a comparative analysis of the US and European approaches; the challenge to regulate tobacco as a lawful product within constitutional limits to promote the reduction of risks to health and the extent to which consumers should be entrusted with information to make their own informed choices. Suggesting dialogue and transparency in policy development, this book covers advertising, psychology, ethics, economics and health in addition to the central debate about the litigation and regulation of tobacco and the role of consumer protection law and private law.

The Yearbook of Consumer Law provides a valuable outlet for high quality scholarly work which tracks developments in the consumer law field with a domestic, regional and international dimension. The 2009 volume presents a range of peer-reviewed scholarly articles, analytical in approach and focusing on specific areas of consumer law such as credit, consumer redress and the impact of the European Union on consumer law. The book also includes a section dedicated to significant developments during the period covered, such as key legislative developments and important court decisions. It is an essential resource for all academics and practitioners working in the areas of consumer law and policy.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive is the most important directive in the field of trade practices to have emerged from the EC but it builds upon European activity which has sought to regulate trade practices on both a sectoral and horizontal level. It is an umbrella provision, which uses general clauses to protect consumers. How effective this approach is and how it relates the existing acquis are fundamental issues for debate. This work provides a critical appraisal of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive linking discussion of it to general debates about how fair trading should be regulated. It explains how the Directive fits into the existing acquis. It also examines national traditions where these are necessary to explain the European approach, as in the case of general clauses. The book will be a valuable tool for any student of consumer law seeking to understand the thinking behind the directive and how it will affect national laws. It will also influence policy makers by suggesting how the directive should be interpreted and what policy lies behind its formulation. Businesses and their advisers will use the book as a means of understanding the new regulatory climate post-the directive.

This fully revised and updated second edition of Consumer Protection Law introduces the reader to the substantive law of consumer protection in the United Kingdom, the emphasis being on the place of United Kingdom law within an evolving European legal system and also on the need to draw upon comparative experience. The book not only seeks to place consumer protection in its purely black-letter context but also draws upon wider readings to show that consumer protection law is a complex area of law which reflects and shapes the individual citizen's position within the modern economy.

This fully revised and updated second edition of Consumer Protection Law introduces the reader to the substantive law of consumer protection in the United Kingdom, the emphasis being on the place of United Kingdom law within an evolving European legal system and also on the need to draw upon comparative experience. The book not only seeks to place consumer protection in its purely black-letter context but also draws upon wider readings to show that consumer protection law is a complex area of law which reflects and shapes the individual citizen's position within the modern economy.