论德国一般交易条款法的产生

On the Birth of German General Terms of Transaction Law

一般交易条款具有节省交易成本等优点,但是不公平的条款同时也损害了消费者的利益。帝国法院最初只是通过对有歧义的条款的解释来达到对其监管的目的,之后在司法实践中帝国法院进一步援引德国民法典第138条直接对一般交易条款的内容加以控制。由于第138条的局限性,德国联邦高等法院改而采用民法典第242条。为了对消费者提供更好的保护,德国司法部于1972年开始着手一般交易条款法的立法工作。1976年一般交易条款法草案获得通过。立法过程中争议的焦点问题集中在:内容的控制标准,创立特别的一般交易条款纳入合同的前提条件,官方对一般交易条款的前期控制。

General terms of transaction have advantages like savingcost, but the unfair terms also damage the interests of consumers. Reichsgerichtinitially achieved its purpose of regulation by the interpretation of the ambiguous terms, and then as- sumed direct control over the general terms of transaction by the further quotation of Section 138, BiargerlichesGesetzbuch. Ac- cordingly, an unreasonable legal transaction which is contrary to public policy is void, and as a result of the limitations of Sec- tion 138, German Federal High Courtstarted to adopt Section 242 that the contract which is abused and leads to the unreasona- ble terms is void. In order to provide better protection to consumers, in 1972 the German Ministry of Justice embarked on legis- lation, and in 1976, the General Terms of Transaction Law was adopted. The debate in the legislative process focused on： The standards of content control;The creation of the prerequisite of bringing the special general terms of transaction into contract; The official preliminary control over the general terms of transaction.