ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the current European consumer protection regulation affecting e-commerce. The European Union (EU) is developing and harmonising consumer protection law with the aim of achieving a truly integrated internal market. The harmonisation of international private law rules at an international level would contribute to facilitating a greater access to justice. Under the Electronic Commerce Directive, EU Member States must ensure that their legal systems allow the formation, completion and enforcement of electronic contracts. Consumer organisations welcome the new regulation, noting that increasing consumer protection will favour consumer trust in e-commerce, boosting consumer participation in the online market. The European regulation is examined in the global context by contrasting its tendency towards codification against the more hands off regulatory approach of the US. The chapter considers consumer access to judicial redress in a European context within the EU by examining the small claims procedures of Ireland, Spain and the UK.
