Can EU Consumer Law Benefit from Behavioural Insights? An Analysis of the Unfair Practices Directive

Sibony, Anne-Lise

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Can EU Consumer Law Benefit from Behavioural Insights? An Analysis of the Unfair Practices Directive

Sibony, Anne-Lise

2014 • In Mathis, Klaus (Ed.) European Perspectives on Behavioural Law and Economics

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Keywords :

law and psychology; social psychology; behavioral economics; consumer law; unfair practices; influence; interpretation; legal tests; presumptions; consumer psychology; EU Law; UCPD; droit de la consommation; pratiques déloyales; interprétation; qualification juridique; présomptions; droit européen; Directive pratiques commerciales déloyales; psychologie du consommateur; droit et psychologie; psychologie sociale; économie comportementale

Abstract :

[en] This paper explores in what ways insights from social psychology could be used to shape the interpretation of European law on unfair practices. It is argued that insights from social psychology on influencing techniques are relevant to the interpretation of the directive on unfair practices. Both conceptual and empirical insights from psychology are valuable from a legal point of view. They could respectively translate as new elements of legal tests or as presumptions.
[fr] Le droit européen de la consommation repose sur une image du consommateur très éloignée de la réalité telle que nous percevons mais aussi des enseignements des sciences comportementales. Cet article examine de quelles manières utiliser les apports des sciences du comportement peuvent être utiles à l’interprétation de la législation européenne sur les pratiques déloyales. Plus particulièrement, il s’attache à identifier les enseignements de la psychologie sociale relatifs aux techniques d’influence qui présentent un intérêt pour l’interprétation de la directive sur les pratiques commerciales déloyales. Ces apports ne sont pas liés à une tradition juridique nationale en particulier et pourraient donc contribuer à uniformiser l’interprétation du droit européen dans le domaine des pratiques commerciales déloyales. Les enseignements de la psychologie qui présentent une utilité pour le droit sont à la fois conceptuels et empiriques. Afin de se servir de ces apports dans la pratique juridique actuelle, il est nécessaire de se pencher sur les méthodes par lesquelles le droit peut les intégrer. À cet égard, les présomptions semblent être un moyen très approprié pour incorporer dans le droit les enseignements des sciences. comportementales.

Disciplines :

Economic & commercial law
European & international law

Author, co-author :

Sibony, Anne-Lise ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de droit > Droit matériel européen

Language :

English

Title :

Can EU Consumer Law Benefit from Behavioural Insights? An Analysis of the Unfair Practices Directive

Publication date :

December 2014

Main work title :

European Perspectives on Behavioural Law and Economics

Publishing director :

Mathis, Klaus

Publisher :

Springer, Switzerland

Peer reviewed :

Peer reviewed

Available on ORBi :

since 16 December 2014

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