欧洲统一货物销售法初探

Contradictory Perspectives on a Common European Sales Law

自诞生之日起,欧洲统一货物销售法就备受争议。从它是否明显有别于业已存在的任意法及是否适用范围更广,到选择它能否给予合同双方显而易见的利惠,再到使其成为准据法的成本较之其他现有选择是否更低,专家学者、提案利益攸关方的见解和欧盟委员会的设想具有较大的分歧。无论是企业对企业,还是企业对消费者营销,欧洲统一销售法对于消费者和贸易商,特别是对中小企业形式的贸易商的价值和意义,仍需时间的证明和实践的考验。

The landscape of European Contract Law is rapidly taking shape.In October 2011,the European Commission proposed a Common European Sales Law（CESL） to facilitate cross-border transactions between businesses and between businesses and consumers.The Common European Sales Law is designed as an optional instrument for parties engaged in cross-border transactions to reduce uncertainty and transaction costs.It could be chosen in preference to national law,helping break down trade barriers,give consumers more choice and a high level of protection,and hence increase cross-border transactions.But experts doubt whether CESL could achieve these goals.Stakeholders including International Chamber of Commerce（ICC） assume it would raise transaction costs while producing few if any benefits;it is likely to cause confusion of applicable law;and its consumer protection provisions seem unfeasible.