WHO IS AN ONLINE TRADER FROM THE CONSUMER LAW PERSPECTIVE? FROM SERBIA TO THE EU AND BACK
Sažetak
The author seeks to answer the following research question: If a natural person is not a registered entrepreneur but does sell goods or services online regularly and for-profit, does that make that person a trader for the purposes of consumer law? The method applied is legal dogmatic. It is a search for the meaning of one of the key notions in consumer law, the trader. The meaning of this notion in Serbian legal literature has been taken for granted, or it has been controversially interpreted by certain consumer protection organizations, and the relevant case law does not exist, making this analysis even more needed. The author concludes that the definition of a trader from Serbian Consumer Protection Act may be interpreted encompassing a natural person who is not an entrepreneur, who sells goods or services online to consumers, depending on the circumstances of the case. The conclusion is based on the analysis of relevant CJEU case law and the case law of some EU Member States.
Reference
Bibliography
1. Bilić, A., 2022, Trgovac, poduzetnik i trgovački ugovori, Zbornik PFZ, Vol. 72, No. 1–2, pp. 641–672.
2. Đurović, M., 2020, Adaptation of Consumer Law to Digital Age: EU Directive 2019/2161 on Modernisation and Better Enforcement of Consumer Law, Anali Pravnog fakulteta u Beogradu, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 62–79.
3. Jovanović Zattila, M., 2013, Pravo potrošača, Niš, Centar za publikacije Pravnog fakulteta Univerziteta u Nišu.
4. Mićović, M., Mićović, A., 2022, Potrošačko pravo, Kragujevac, Pravni fakultet Univerziteta u Kragujevcu.
5. Perinčić, D., 2014, Ostvarivanje prava potrošača, Beograd, Zadužbina Andrejević, pp. 13–24.
6. Perinčić, D., 2019, Provizorijum pravne zaštite potrošača, Beograd, Zadužbina Andrejević.
7. Prastitou Merdi, T., The 2018 New Deal on Better Enforcement and Modernisation of EU Consumer Law: An Actually Good Digital Deal?, in: Synodinou, E-T., Jougleux, P., Markou, C., Prastitou, T. (eds.), 2020, EU Internet Law in the Digital Era. Regulation and Enforcement, Cham, Springer, pp. 347–365.
8. Riefa, C., Consumer Protection on Social Media Platforms: Tackling the Challenges of Social Commerce, in: Synodinou, E-T., Jougleux, P., Markou, C., Prastitou, T. (eds.), 2020, EU Internet Law in the Digital Era. Regulation and Enforcement, Cham, Springer, pp. 321–345.
9. Twigg-Flesner, C., Disruptive Technology – Disrupted Law? How the Digital Revolution Affects (Contract) Law, in: Franceschi, A. de, 2017, European Contract Law and the Digital Single Market, SSRN (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3039952, 25.05.2023).
10. Twigg-Flesner, C., 2018, Bad Hand? The ‘New Deal’ for EU Consumers, SSRN, (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3178952, 13.03.2023), p. 12.
Legislative Sources
1. Zakon o zaštiti potrošača [Consumer Protection Act], Official Gazette of the RS, No. 88/2021.
2. Zakon o zaštiti potrošača [Consumer Protection Act], Official Gazette of the RS, Nos. 62/14, 6/16 (state law), 44/18 (state law).
3. Zakon o potvrđivanju Sporazuma o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju između evropskih zajednica i njihovih država članica, s jedne strane, i Republike Srbije, s druge strane [Act on the Ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, and the Republic of Serbia], Official Gazette of the RS – International Treaties, No. 83/08.
4. Zakon o privrednim društvima [Companies Act], Official Gazette of the RS, Nos. 36/11, 99/11, 83/14 – state law, 5/15, 44/18, 95/18, 91/19 and 109/21.
5. Zakon o obligacionim odnosima [Law of Contract and Torts], Official Gazette of the SRFY, Nos. 29/78, 39/85, 45/89 – decision of the Constitutional Court of Yugoslavia, and 57/89, Official Gazette of the FRY, No. 31/93, Official Gazette of SCG, No. 1/03 – Constitutional Charter, and Official Gazette of the RS, No. 18/20.
6. Zakon o elektronskoj trgovini [Law on Electronic Commerce], Official Gazette of the RS, Nos. 41/09, 95/13 and 52/19.
7. Zakon o zaštiti potrošača [Consumer Protection Act], Narodne novine 19/22.
8. Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rules.
9. Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Case Law
1. BGH, Urteil des I. Zivilsenats vom 4.12.2008, I ZR 3/06, para. 33, (http://juris.bundesgerichtshof.de/cgi-bin/rechtsprechung/document.py?Gericht=bgh&Art=en&nr=48382&pos=0&anz=1, 02.02.2023).
2. CJEU case C-105/17, Komisia za zashtita na potrebitelite v. Evelina Kamenova, Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 4 October 2018, ECLI:EU:C:2018:808.
3. Decision of the Administrative Court in Varna of 22 November 2018, para. 17, (https://legalacts.justice.bg/Search/GetActContentByActId?actId=MGRjLbqemPY%3D, 28.02.2023).
Internet Sources
1. Potrošač.info, 2020, Crna lista internet trgovaca [Blacklist of internet merchants], (https://potrosac.info/novosti/1542-crna-lista-internet-trgovaca, 01.02.2023).
2. Jabłonowska, A., 2018, Becoming a “trader” in the platform economy: CJEU rules in Kamenova, (http://recent-ecl.blogspot.com/2018/10/becoming-trader-in-platform-economy.html, 02.02.2023).