Action Plan on “A More Coherent European Contract Law”

On 12 February 2003, the European Commission published its communication “A More Coherent European Contract Law – An Action Plan”. In order to foster a transparent consultation procedure, the Commission has asked stakeholders to comment on the issues raised. One of the most important fields of discussion concerns the intention of the Commission to form a “Common Frame of Reference”. This Common Frame of Reference could:

• serve as a common basis when preparing a revision of the existing acquis communautaire in the field of contract law by helping to increase coherency with regard to legal language and contents;
• help avoid inconsistencies and foster the creation of a more homogenous system of sector-specific legislation;
• provide an important aid for member states in the process of transposing European law or aligning national laws to neighbouring European law;
• provide practitioners with a valuable support in interpreting European law and the respective transposed provisions within the national legal orders, and
• serve as basic structure with regard to the development of horizontal legal acts (i.e. legal acts that go beyond sector-specific legislation such as the envisaged “optional instrument”).