Introduction Chapter I: Consumer Protection and the Law of Contracts 1. Social and Economic Policy in Consumer Protection 2. The Historical Development of Consumer Protection by Community Institutions 3. Beyond a Definition of ‘Consumer’ 4. ‘The Relevant Issues in the Domestic Private Laws of Member States 5. The Consequences of Community Intervention in the Law of Contracts 6. A New Taxonomy: Consumer Contracts 7. The Limits of Consumer Protection 8. The Legal Instruments for Consumer Protection: Procedural Fairness and International Private Law 9. Contracts Negotiated away from Business Premises 9.1. Examples of National Transposition 10. Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Contracts 10.1. Examples of National Transposition 11. Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts 11.1. The Implementation of Directive 93/13 in Member States 11.2. The Reception of Directive 93/13 in CEECs 12. Timesharing 12.1. Examples of National Transposition 13. Distance Contracts 13.1. Examples of National Transposition 14. The Directive on Injunctions and New Systems of Protection 14.1. Examples of National Transposition 15. Improving Consumer Access to Justice in Cross-Border Disputes 16. Sale of Consumer Goods and Associated Guarantees 16.1. Examples of National Transposition 17. Electronic Signatures 17.1. Examples of National Transposition 18. E-commerce Bibliography Chapter I Chapter II: Product Liability 1. Product Liability in the Member States before the 1985 Directive 2. The Aims of the Directive on Product Liability 3. Some Features of the Community Regime 4. Implementation of the Directive in Member States 5. The Cost of Harmonizing National Legal Systems 6. No Harmonization at all? 7. The Transposition of the Directive in the CEECs 8. The Directives on General Product Safety 9. Draft Directives on the Liability of Service Providers and Liability for Environmental Damage Bibliography Chapter II Chapter III: Insurance, Credit and Financial Industries: Investment, Saving and Consumer Protection 1. Insurance Services 1.1. The First and Second Generation Directives 1.2. Third Generation Directives 1.3. The Life Assurance Sector 1.4. The Latest Developments 2. Indirect Protection of the Interests of Clients 3. New Types of Insurance Contracts Ruled by the Directives 4. Civil Liability Deriving from Motor Vehicle Use 5. Banking Services 6. Community Legislation Relevant to the Banking Sector 6.1. The Second Banking Directive and its Principles 6.2. The Creation of a Single Banking Market 7. Indirect Protection of the Interests of Investors and Savers 8. Consumer Credit Contracts 8.1. The Directive on Consumer Credit 8.2. The Reform of Consumer Credit Contracts 9. Financial Services 10. Community Legislation Relevant to the Financial Sector 10.1. Stock Exchanges and other Securities Markets 10.2. Second Generation Securities Directives 10.3. A Single European Market in Investment Services 10.4. The Ongoing Transformation of the Financial Sector 11. Indirect Protection of the Interests of Investors and Savers 12. Harmonization of National Laws on Financial Services 13. Harmonization of CEECs Legal Systems 13.1. Banking and Financial Services 13.2. Insurance Services Bibliography Chapter III Chapter IV Company Law 1. Reasons for Harmonization of Company Law 1.1. Harmonization of the Rules of Private International Law 1.2. Harmonization of the Rules of Substantive Private Law 2. Limits of Harmonization of Company Law 3. The Sources of Company Law 4. Community Strategies of Intervention 5. New Strategies of Intervention in Company Law 6. Harmonization within Member States 7. Harmonization in the CEECs 8. The Requirements for Disclosure, Validity of Obligations, and Nullity of Limited Liability Companies 8.1. Examples of Transposition in the Member States and CEECs 9. The Formation of Public Limited Liability Companies and the Maintenance and Alteration of their Capital 9.1. Examples of National Transposition 10. National Mergers and ....