91423 - Consumers Law

Academic Year 2021/2022

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course unit, students: - know the fundamentals of EU and International Law in terms of consumers’ rights; - know the core concepts/processes, and the hermeneutic tools leading to the understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject; - are capable to tackle and solve typical potential conflicts between parties invoking opposite rights.

Course contents

The main purpose of the course is to provide students with a thorough knowledge of the core concepts of consumer law, with particular reference to the discipline of European legislation.

Course contents:

- definition of consumers

- definiton of seller or supplier

- unfair terms in contracts concluded between a seller or supplier and a consumer

- definition of individually negotiation and standard clauses

- on line transactions, distance and off-premises contracts

- definitions of packages, linked travel arrangements and package travel contracts and their regulation

-definition of medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’)

- definition of "contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services" and their regulation

- liability for defective products

main regulatory references: directives 85/374/EEC; 93/13/EEC; 2011/83/EU; 2015/2302/EU; 2019/770/EU;2019/771/EU; 2019/2161/EU;

Readings/Bibliography

Study material will be indicated by the teacher.

Teaching methods

Learning will be stimulated by a continuous reference to case law.

 

Assessment methods

The exam will be oral. Students are encouraged to submit short papers individually assigned.

The aim of the exam is to verify the knowledge of the most important consumer law issues

The final evaluation will be graded considering the following criteria:

Basic preparation on most of the topics of the exam program, but with limited analytical skills, such as to require the explanatory intervention of the teacher; correct language, but without technicality: 18-20;
preparation on the whole exam program, with autonomous analytical skills, even if not in depth, ccorrect language, including the most important technicalities: 21-24;

preparation on the whole exam program, with autonomous analytical skills, correct and sufficiently/good technical language: 25-29;
preparation on the whole exam program, with independent and in-depth analytical skills, excellent mastery of language of technical language: 30-30L

Teaching tools

Supporting materials (legal cases, legal texts) will be made available to students by the teacher.

Students who need compensatory tools for reasons of disability or Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) shall communicate to the teacher their needs so as to be directed to the dedicated person and arrange on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Spangaro