The European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) has published a draft report on the Common European Sales Law (CESL). Importantly, among the many technical amendments suggested by JURI, it proposes to limit the scope of CESL to distance contracts, notably online contracts. This proposed restriction of scope, if accepted, suggests that the core value of this optional instrument would lie in the field of online business. JURI has also proposed that the scope of the definition of consumer should be expanded to include persons who conclude contracts for purposes partly within and partly outside the person's trade, provided the trade purpose is not the predominant purpose. This would widen the scope in which CESL could potentially be used.

For more information, see Legislation tracker, Common European Sales Law and Practice Note, Common European Sales Law instrument.

Source: Committee on Legal Affairs: Draft Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Common European Sales Law, 18 February 2013.