Realising the European Single Market Forum 2012:

Realising the European Single Market Forum 2012:

Will proposed changes to contract law & redress routes increase consumer & business confidence in Europe?
6th March 2012, Le Chatelain Hotel, Brussels
Featuring a Keynote Address by Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
To register, please go to http://www.european-single-market.eu. You can also contact James Wilmott on james.wilmott@forum-europe.com / +44 (0) 2920 783 022 for further information.

This year’s event will focus on a number of recent proposals from the European Commission, most notably those relating to the introduction of an optional Common European Sales Law (CESL). These proposals cover both business-to-business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) contracts for the sale of goods and related services, with the intention of creating a single set of rules that can be used during these transactions instead of national sets of laws.
This conference will also explore the current proposals for Collective Redress, Alternative Dispute Resolution/Online Dispute Resolution and the review of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (due Spring 2012).

Speakers Include:
Viviane Reding
European Commissioner
Justice, Fundamental Rights & Citizenship

Ursula Pachl
BEUC

Maurits Bruggink
Seldia

Susanne Czech
EMOTA

Veronica Manfredi
European Commission

Further Information:
More than 100 delegates already registered! To guarantee your place at this event, please register.

Other Speakers Include:
– Mihalea Carpus Carcea, Policy Officer, DG Justice, European Commission
– Hanne Melin, European Legislative Counsel, eBay
–  Jules Stuyck, Faculty of Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
– Lewis Crofts, Chief Antitrust Correspondent, MLex
– Eddy De Smijter, Deputy Head of Unit A1, Private Enforcement, DG Competition, European Commission
– Sebastian Bohr, Deputy Head of Unit – Financial Services and Redress, DG SANCO, European Commission
– Pula Houghton, Director of Public Policy & Consumer Markets, Which?

What will be discussed?

The Optional CESL – a project too far or the enabler for cross-border trade in Europe?

Will the creation of a single set of optional rules for sales contracts meet the objective of increasing cross-border trade in Europe? Will the parallel and optional nature of the regulation create more choice or as it is argued, more uncertainty? What will the impact be on legal costs and will issues such as the variations between member state VAT rules and cultural dimensions such as language always present barriers to cross-border trade that cannot be overcome? Can the CESL develop to become a gold standard used as a mark of trust and quality, and will the inclusion of digital goods be key in driving forward cross border e-commerce?
Ensuring a functioning system for redress in Europe – Collective Redress, Class Actions & Alternative Dispute Resolution

Collective redress and ADR are seen as key routes to creating a more efficient redress system in Europe. This session will explore issues such as whether consumer ADR outcomes should be binding and in what sectors if any should mandatory ADR be imposed? Should different ADR approaches be taken when dealing with consumer and SME complaints and how should ADR and collective redress function together?
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive – has maximum harmonisation worked?

The European Commission is currently working on a report reviewing the application of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive that is due in the spring of 2012. Have Member States transposed the Directive correctly and what have the main transposition problems been? What are the main areas of abuse by rogue traders? Do new practices need to be tackled and do small businesses require equal protection? Should the UCPD cover B2B as well as B2C transactions and how would this operate in practice?

Will legislative work in these areas support or hinder improvements in consumer and business confidence, and by extension boost economic growth in Europe?

Conference Partners:
The conference is Hosted by Seldia and EMOTA and is supported by eBay.

The Knowledge Partner for this event is Strategis Communications.
Forum Europe has launched its new website at http://www.forum-europe.com where you can find our full list of events and services.

For further details regarding any of Forum Europe’s events or for details on working with Forum Europe, please contact James Wilmott on +44 (0) 2920 783 022 or email james.wilmott@forum-europe.com