Consumer rights protection in digital contracts within the framework of the European Union
Authors: Prystai R. , Yavorska І. 
Published: February 2023

Having analyzed the mechanisms of consumer rights protection in the field of concluding electronic contracts, it is noted that there is no separate definition of the concept of this type of contract in EU law, instead the concept of a distance contract is used. EU law regarding the conclusion of contracts in electronic form allows the use of various forms of negotiations between the parties, which is the main feature of this type of contract. From this, we came to the conclusion that in the process of protecting the rights of consumers in the field of electronic commerce, it is appropriate to use the general concept of a distance contract and apply to it the norms arising from the legislation on the protection of consumer rights.

It is indicated that at the EU level, the system of consumer protection in electronic contracts is horizontal in nature. Thus, the main Directives are Directive 2019/770 «On certain aspects of contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services» and Directive 2019/771 «On certain aspects of contracts for the sale of goods». Together with them, Directive 2011/83 «On Consumer Rights» (CRD) and the new EU Directive «On Better Implementation and Modernization of EU Consumer Rights Protection» (2019/2161/EU) apply when concluding contracts. General EU rules on consumer protection when using electronic payment methods were also established. In January 2018, the existing legal regulation was replaced by Directive No. 2015/2366 «On Payment Services in the Internal Market» (or PSD 2). PSD 2 introduced additional protections for online and mobile payments and strengthened security requirements, which in turn, along with other measures, provided additional guarantees for consumers’ rights to conclude and execute electronic contracts.

It was noted that the judicial practice of the EU Court in the field of consumer rights protection also allows us to assert a constant increase in attention to ensuring more effective protection of the rights of consumers who are parties to electronic contracts. Among the essential mechanisms for guaranteeing the protection of consumer rights, the durable medium principle, which is widely used in judicial practice, means the possibility of using an electronic means of communication that is considered acceptable for providing information. as it allows the client to store information addressed personally to this client in a way accessible to him and for a period of time sufficient for the purposes of the information and which allows the unchanged reproduction of the stored information.

The EU Directive «On Better Enforcement and Modernization of EU Consumer Protection» (2019/2161), part of the «New Deal for Consumers» package, improves the rules for digital developments, such as the transparency of online markets, aimed at guaranteeing equal rights of consumers to «free» digital services, ensuring transparency of consumer feedback, ensuring the possibility of submitting claims for price reductions.

Thus, regulatory regulation and judicial practice in the field of EU consumer rights protection should be taken into account during normative design activities in Ukraine, during bringing legislation into line with EU law, as one of the priority areas of harmonization, and reflecting and taking into account changes in the methods of concluding agreements to guarantee sufficient mechanisms for the protection of consumer rights during the conclusion of electronic contracts.