Welcome to ERA – Academy of European Law

The objective of this conference is to provide practitioners with an understanding of the most important recent developments concerning product liability and product safety. EU legislation aims to achieve an effective Single Market in terms not only of competition and free movement but also of consumer protection, by permitting the circulation only of safe products and by providing consumers with the right to compensation for any damages incurred.

Leading experts will address the following issues in light of the latest legislation and jurisprudence from the ECJ and national courts:

• current level of harmonisation on the basis of Directive 85/374/EC and the remaining open questions (notions of ‘product’, ‘causation’, ‘defect’)
• the question of the applicable law (Rome II)
• the burden of proof in product liability cases
• ensuring product safety (standardisation,RAPEX system, IP rights enforcement)
• sectoral matters (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, toys)

The conference will also address important new legislative initiatives, such as the draft toy safety directive, the adoption of the new ‘goods package’, the possible introduction of collective redress, and their potential impact on the above fields. In order to highlight better the practical aspects of the issues addressed, a case study encouraging participants’ interaction will be organised.