Source: https://www.trans-lex.org/113100/_/hartkamp-arthur-the-unidroit-principles-for-international-commercial-contracts-and-the-new-dutch-civil-code-in:-cjhb-brunner-bundel-deventer-1994-at-127-et-seq/
Timestamp: 2017-03-23 00:22:40
Document Index: 537462206

Matched Legal Cases: ['in fine', 'Art. 3', 'Art. 6', 'Art. 6', 'Art. 1', 'Art. 49', 'Art. 7', 'Art. 74', 'Art. 89']

Hartkamp, Arthur, The UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial Contracts and the New Dutch Civil Code, in: CJHB Brunner-Bundel, Deventer 1994, at 127 et seq. | Trans-Lex.org
Hartkamp, Arthur, The UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial Contracts and the New Dutch Civil Code, in: CJHB Brunner-Bundel, Deventer 1994, at 127 et seq.Document-Id: 113100, Please cite as: "https://www.trans-lex.org/113100"TitleHartkamp, Arthur, The UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial Contracts and the New Dutch Civil Code, in: CJHB Brunner-Bundel, Deventer 1994, at 127 et seq.Permission TextThis document is included in TransLex by kind permission of Kluwer Law International.Table of ContentsThe UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial Contracts and the New Dutch Civil CodeINTRODUCTIONI. GENERAL PROVISIONSII. FORMATIONIII. VALIDITYIV. INTERPRETATIONV. CONTENTVI. PERFORMANCEVII. NON-PERFORMANCECONCLUDING REMARKSContent127 The UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial Contracts and the New Dutch Civil Code
Of course, the merits of a document of uniform law can not be measured by the extent to which it coincides with the national legal system of the beholder and such has not been the purpose of this study. Nonetheless, it is a comforting thought for a Dutch lawyer that the new Civil Code, which is based on much comparative reflection, largely complies with the latest authoritative proposals on international contract law.24 1 Principles of Contract Law, in Hartkamp et al. (ed.), Towards a European Civil Code (1994), in print" To put it very briefly, the UNIDROIT Principles are a set of some 120 articles, covering the general part of contract law. In this stage, they are not meant to become binding law, but they may inspire national legislators; they may provide guidance to Courts when interpreting existing uniform law and to arbitrators when deciding disputes over international commercial contracts; and they will stimulate, together with the European Principles, the discussion on a uniform contract law for Europe.2 AJCL XL (1992), p. 703 ff. In July 1993, UNIDROIT has issued a working paper (Study L Doc. 40, Rev. II) which contains some minor modifications, mainly relating to the Order of the rules. However, as these are not relevant to the purpose of this article I will refer to the principles as published in the AJCL. At the time I am writing (September 1993), the comments have not yet been published.3 Ulrich Drobnig, Substantive Validity (p. 635 ff.), Marcel Fontaine, Content and Performance (p. 645 ff.), Dietrich Maskow, Hardship and Force Majeur (p. 657 ff.) , M.P. Furmston, Breach of Contract (p. 671 ff.) and Denis Tallon, Damages, Exemption Clauses and Penalties (p. 675 ff.) .4 For instance, the Faculty of Law at the University of Utrecht will offer a course on European Contract Law from Autumn 1993.5 I need only refer here to the editorial formula of the 'Monografieën Nieuw B.W.', which I have had the pleasure of co-editing with him for over thirteen years.6 Arts. 6:2, 248. See Hartkamp, Judicial Discretion Under The New Civil Code of The Netherlands, AJCL XL (1992), p. 551 ff, at p. 554 Fokkema/Hartkamp, Contracts, in Chorus et. al (ed.), An Introduction to Dutch Law for Foreign Lawyers (1993), p. 93 ff at p. 95.7 Comp. on supplementing obligations also Arts. 4.7, 5.2 sub c, 5.3 and 5.7.8 Arts. 2.1; 2.3 para. 2 sub b; 2.5 para. 1, in fine, and para. 3; 2.7.9 See Asser-Hartkamp II, Algemene leer der overeenkomsten (1993), nr. 162 ff. As yet, the Dutch rule seems not to have found much acceptance abroad: See Hondius, in Hondius (ed.), Precontractual liability, Reports to the XIIIth Congress International Academy of Comparative Law (1991), p. 22 ff. 10 See Hondius, Standaardvoorwaarden (1978), p. 422 ff, Van der Velden, in Unification, Contributions in honour of J.G. Sauveplanne (1984), p. 233 ff. at p. 244. ff.11 See Asser-Hartkamp II, op. cit. (N. 9), nr. 287 sub f.12 See Drobnig (N. 3) and infra section 6.3.13 This prevailing view has been challenged eloquently by Nieskens-Isphording, Het fait accompli in het vermogensrecht (1991).14 As to damages (in Art. 3.18 restricted to the reliance measure) I would point out, however, that some legal authors in The Netherlands advocate a more severe liability for the party causing a mistake. According to this view (influenced by developments in the law of precontractual liability, See section 2.2 supra), that party's liability should not per se be restricted to faulty behaviour nor to the other party's reliance interest. See the discussion in Asser-Hartkamp, op. cit. (N. 9) nr. 487.15 HR 13 March 1981; NJ 1981, 635 (Ermes/Haviltex).16 Compare the 'guidelines' proposed in Asser-Hartkamp, op. cit. (N. 9) nr. 287.17 Fontaine (N. 3) p. 650 ff.18 Art. 6:III ff.; compare also Art. 6:46.19 Which includes an arbitral tribunal (Art. 1.11).20 See Maskow (N. 3) at p. 658.21 The Article not only contemplates the case where the non-performance was caused by the obligee's act or omission, but also the case where the non-performance was caused by another event as to which the obligee bears the risk. In the Dutch Code the same rules follow from Arts. 6:58, 75 and 266.22 Under CISG this possibility is restricted to non-delivery as opposed to other instances of non-performance such as defective delivery: See Art. 49 para. 1 sub b.23 Compare also Talfon (N. 3) at p. 679. Under the rule of Art. 7.4.4, which corresponds with Art. 74 CISG (but not with Art. 89 ULIS), the problem can only be resolved if the debtor's fraud can be considered as a tort.24 The remarks of Fontaine and Tallon (N. 3) as well as Bonell (AJCL op. cit., p. 622) and Farnsworth (ib. p. 700) bear witness to the inspiration drawn by the UNIDROIT Study Group from the Dutch Civil Code. The same observation in relation to the Principles of European Contract Law has recently been made by Ole Lando, Is codification needed in Europe? Principles of European Contract Law and the relationship to Dutch law, European Review of Private Law,Vol. 1 (1993), p. 157 - 170, at p. 158.Referring PrinciplesTrans-Lex Principle: IV.5.3 - Interpretation in favor of effectiveness of contractTrans-Lex Principle: IV.5.4 - Interpretation against the party that supplied the termTrans-Lex Principle: VIII.1 - Definition How to search - Contact - Team - Trustees - Disclaimer / Legal information / Privacy - Twitter - FacebookA project of CENTRAL, University of Cologne.