Anabela Susana de Sousa Gonçalves

Choice-of-court Agreements in the E-commerce International Contracts

Thexa0choice-of-court agreements are axa0common practice inxa0thexa0exa0commerce international contracts. Inxa0thexa0European Union, thexa0 choice-of-courts agreements find their legal framework inxa0Article 25 ofxa0Regulation No.xa01215/2012 ofxa0thexa0European Parliament andxa0ofxa0thexa0Council, ofxa012 December 2012, onxa0jurisdiction andxa0thexa0recognition andxa0enforcement ofxa0judgments inxa0civil andxa0commercial matters (Brussels I bis). Thexa0purpose ofxa0this paper is toxa0analyse thexa0current legal framework, inxa0thexa0European Union, ofxa0thexa0jurisdiction agreements inxa0international contracts concluded inxa0exa0commerce, comparing it toxa0thexa0previous one, andxa0taking intoxa0consideration thexa0interpretative options ofxa0thexa0European Union Court ofxa0Justice (ECJ).

The e-commerce international consumer contract in the European Union

Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of thexa0Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I)xa0adapts the rule laid down in the Rome Convention regarding internationalxa0consumer contracts, to take into account the requirements of the consumerxa0protection in an international contract, as the weaker party, and the demands ofxa0electronic commerce. Article 6 determines the types of international contractxa0protected and establishes the mechanisms to protect the consumer. However, thexa0legal provision in question is not free from complications and requires an effort ofxa0interpretation to adjust the rule to the diffuse nature of the internet and to thexa0characteristics of electronic commerce. This paper identifies the difficulties ofxa0application of the provision to e-commerce and discusses the interpretative optionsxa0of the European Union Court of Justice (ECJ).