Contratti di vendita di beni conformi 2019/0771 EN

(1)	‘ sales_contract’ means any contract under which the seller transfers or undertakes to transfer ownership of goods to a consumer, and the consumer pays or undertakes to pay the price thereof;

(2)	‘ consumer’ means any natural person who, in relation to contracts covered by this Directive, is acting for purposes which are outside that person's trade, business, craft or profession;

(3)

‘ seller’ means any natural person or any legal person, irrespective of whether privately or publicly owned, that is acting, including through any other person acting in that natural or legal person's name or on that person's behalf, for purposes relating to that person's trade, business, craft or profession, in relation to contracts covered by this Directive;

(4)	‘ producer’ means a manufacturer of goods, an importer of goods into the Union or any person purporting to be a producer by placing its name, trade mark or other distinctive sign on the goods;

(5)

‘ goods’ means:

(a)	any tangible movable items; water, gas and electricity are to be considered as goods within the meaning of this Directive where they are put up for sale in a limited volume or a set quantity;

(b)	any tangible movable items that incorporate or are inter-connected with digital_content or a digital_service in such a way that the absence of that digital_content or digital_service would prevent the goods from performing their functions (‘ goods with digital elements’);

(6)	‘ digital_content’ means data which are produced and supplied in digital form;

(7)

‘ digital_service’ means:

(a)	a service that allows the consumer to create, process, store or access data in digital form; or

(b)	a service that allows the sharing of or any other interaction with data in digital form uploaded or created by the consumer or other users of that service;

(8)	‘ compatibility’ means the ability of the goods to function with hardware or software with which goods of the same type are normally used, without the need to convert the goods, hardware or software;

(9)	‘ functionality’ means the ability of the goods to perform their functions having regard to their purpose;

(10)	‘ interoperability’ means the ability of the goods to function with hardware or software different from those with which goods of the same type are normally used;

(11)

‘ durable_medium’ means any instrument which enables the consumer or the seller to store information addressed personally to that person in a way that is accessible for future reference, for a period of time adequate for the purposes of the information, and which allows the unchanged reproduction of the information stored;

(12)

‘ commercial_guarantee’ means any undertaking by the seller or a producer (the guarantor) to the consumer, in addition to the seller's legal obligation relating to the guarantee of conformity, to reimburse the price paid or to replace, repair or service goods in any way if they do not meet the specifications or any other requirements not related to conformity set out in the guarantee statement or in the relevant advertising available at the time of, or before the conclusion of the contract;

(13)	‘ durability’ means the ability of the goods to maintain their required functions and performance through normal use;

(14)	‘ free_of_charge’ means free of the necessary costs incurred in order to bring the goods into conformity, particularly the cost of postage, carriage, labour or materials;

(15)

‘ public_auction’ means a method of sale where goods or services are offered by the seller to consumers, who attend or are given the possibility to attend the auction in person, through a transparent, competitive bidding procedure run by an auctioneer and where the successful bidder is bound to purchase the goods or services.

Article 3

Scope

1. This Directive shall apply to sales_contracts between a consumer and a seller.

2. Contracts between a consumer and a seller for the supply of goods to be manufactured or produced shall also be deemed sales_contracts for the purpose of this Directive.

3. This Directive shall not apply to contracts for the supply of digital_content or digital_services. It shall, however, apply to digital_content or digital_services which are incorporated in or inter-connected with goods in the meaning of point (5)(b) of Article 2, and are provided with the goods under the sales_contract, irrespective of whether such digital_content or digital_service is supplied by the seller or by a third party. In the event of doubt as to whether the supply of incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or an incorporated or inter-connected digital_service forms part of the sales_contract, the digital_content or digital_service shall be presumed to be covered by the sales_contract.

4. This Directive shall not apply to:

(a)	any tangible medium which serves exclusively as a carrier for digital_content; or

(b)	any goods sold by way of execution or otherwise by authority of law.

5. Member States may exclude from the scope of this Directive contracts for the sale of:

(a)	second-hand goods sold at public_auction; and

(b)	living animals.

In the case referred to in point (a), clear and comprehensive information that the rights deriving from this Directive do not apply shall be made easily available to consumers.

6. This Directive shall not affect the freedom of Member States to regulate aspects of general contract law, such as rules on the formation, validity, nullity or effects of contracts, including the consequences of the termination of a contract, in so far as they are not regulated in this Directive, or the right to damages.

7. This Directive shall not affect the freedom of Member States to allow consumers to choose a specific remedy, if the lack of conformity of the goods becomes apparent within a period after delivery, not exceeding 30 days. In addition, this Directive shall not affect national rules not specific to consumer contracts providing for specific remedies for certain types of defects that were not apparent at the time of conclusion of the sales_contract.

Article 4

Level of harmonisation

Member States shall not maintain or introduce, in their national law, provisions diverging from those laid down in this Directive, including more, or less, stringent provisions to ensure a different level of consumer protection, unless otherwise provided for in this Directive.

Article 6

Subjective requirements for conformity

In order to conform with the sales_contract, the goods shall, in particular, where applicable:

(a)	be of the description, type, quantity and quality, and possess the functionality, compatibility, interoperability and other features, as required by the sales_contract;

(b)	be fit for any particular purpose for which the consumer requires them and which the consumer made known to the seller at the latest at the time of the conclusion of the sales_contract, and in respect of which the seller has given acceptance;

(c)	be delivered with all accessories and instructions, including on installation, as stipulated by the sales_contract; and

(d)	be supplied with updates as stipulated by the sales_contract.

Article 7

Objective requirements for conformity

1. In addition to complying with any subjective requirement for conformity, the goods shall:

(a)	be fit for the purposes for which goods of the same type would normally be used, taking into account, where applicable, any existing Union and national law, technical standards or, in the absence of such technical standards, applicable sector-specific industry codes of conduct;

(b)	where applicable, be of the quality and correspond to the description of a sample or model that the seller made available to the consumer before the conclusion of the contract;

(c)	where applicable, be delivered along with such accessories, including packaging, installation instructions or other instructions, as the consumer may reasonably expect to receive; and

(d)

be of the quantity and possess the qualities and other features, including in relation to durability, functionality, compatibility and security normal for goods of the same type and which the consumer may reasonably expect given the nature of the goods and taking into account any public statement made by or on behalf of the seller, or other persons in previous links of the chain of transactions, including the producer, particularly in advertising or on labelling.

2. The seller shall not be bound by public statements, as referred to in point (d) of paragraph 1 if the seller shows that:

(a)	the seller was not, and could not reasonably have been, aware of the public statement in question;

(b)	by the time of conclusion of the contract, the public statement had been corrected in the same way as, or in a way comparable to how, it had been made; or

(c)	the decision to buy the goods could not have been influenced by the public statement.

3. In the case of goods with digital elements, the seller shall ensure that the consumer is informed of and supplied with updates, including security updates, that are necessary to keep those goods in conformity, for the period of time:

(a)	that the consumer may reasonably expect given the type and purpose of the goods and the digital elements, and taking into account the circumstances and nature of the contract, where the sales_contract provides for a single act of supply of the digital_content or digital_service; or

(b)	indicated in Article 10(2) or (5), as applicable, where the sales_contract provides for a continuous supply of the digital_content or digital_service over a period of time.

4. Where the consumer fails to install within a reasonable time updates supplied in accordance with paragraph 3, the seller shall not be liable for any lack of conformity resulting solely from the lack of the relevant update, provided that:

(a)	the seller informed the consumer about the availability of the update and the consequences of the failure of the consumer to install it; and

(b)	the failure of the consumer to install or the incorrect installation by the consumer of the update was not due to shortcomings in the installation instructions provided to the consumer.

5. There shall be no lack of conformity within the meaning of paragraph 1 or 3 if, at the time of the conclusion of the sales_contract, the consumer was specifically informed that a particular characteristic of the goods was deviating from the objective requirements for conformity laid down in paragraph 1 or 3 and the consumer expressly and separately accepted that deviation when concluding the sales_contract.

Article 13

Remedies for lack of conformity

1. In the event of a lack of conformity, the consumer shall be entitled to have the goods brought into conformity or to receive a proportionate reduction in the price, or to terminate the contract, under the conditions set out in this Article.

2. In order to have the goods brought into conformity, the consumer may choose between repair and replacement, unless the remedy chosen would be impossible or, compared to the other remedy, would impose costs on the seller that would be disproportionate, taking into account all circumstances, including:

(a)	the value the goods would have if there were no lack of conformity;

(b)	the significance of the lack of conformity; and

(c)	whether the alternative remedy could be provided without significant inconvenience to the consumer.

3. The seller may refuse to bring the goods into conformity if repair and replacement are impossible or would impose costs on the seller that would be disproportionate, taking into account all circumstances including those mentioned in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 2.

4. The consumer shall be entitled to either a proportionate reduction of the price in accordance with Article 15 or the termination of the sales_contract in accordance with Article 16 in any of the following cases:

(a)	the seller has not completed repair or replacement or, where applicable, has not completed repair or replacement in accordance with Article 14(2) and (3), or the seller has refused to bring the goods into conformity in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article;

(b)	a lack of conformity appears despite the seller having attempted to bring the goods into conformity;

(c)	the lack of conformity is of such a serious nature as to justify an immediate price reduction or termination of the sales_contract; or

(d)	the seller has declared, or it is clear from the circumstances, that the seller will not bring the goods into conformity within a reasonable time, or without significant inconvenience for the consumer.

5. The consumer shall not be entitled to terminate the contract if the lack of conformity is only minor. The burden of proof with regard to whether the lack of conformity is minor shall be on the seller.

6. The consumer shall have the right to withhold payment of any outstanding part of the price or a part thereof until the seller has fulfilled the seller's obligations under this Directive. Member States may determine the conditions and modalities for the consumer to exercise the right to withhold the payment.

7. Member States may regulate whether and to what extent a contribution of the consumer to the lack of conformity affects the consumer's right to remedies.

Article 17

Commercial guarantees

1. Any commercial_guarantee shall be binding on the guarantor under the conditions laid down in the commercial_guarantee statement and associated advertising available at the time, or before the conclusion, of the contract. Under the conditions laid down in this Article and without prejudice to any other applicable provisions of Union or national law, where a producer offers to the consumer a commercial_guarantee of durability for certain goods for a certain period of time, the producer shall be liable directly to the consumer, during the entire period of the commercial_guarantee of durability for repair or replacement of the goods in accordance with Article 14. The producer may offer to the consumer more favourable conditions in the commercial_guarantee of durability statement.

If the conditions laid out in the commercial_guarantee statement are less advantageous to the consumer than those laid down in the associated advertising, the commercial_guarantee shall be binding under the conditions laid down in the advertising relating to the commercial_guarantee, unless, before the conclusion of the contract, the associated advertising was corrected in the same way or in a comparable way to that in which it was made.

2. The commercial_guarantee statement shall be provided to the consumer on a durable_medium at the latest at the time of the delivery of the goods. The commercial_guarantee statement shall be expressed in plain, intelligible language. It shall include the following:

(a)	a clear statement that the consumer is entitled by law to remedies from the seller free_of_charge in the event of a lack of conformity of the goods and that those remedies are not affected by the commercial_guarantee;

(b)	the name and address of the guarantor;

(c)	the procedure to be followed by the consumer to obtain the implementation of the commercial_guarantee;

(d)	the designation of the goods to which the commercial_guarantee applies; and

(e)	the terms of the commercial_guarantee.

3. Non-compliance with paragraph 2 shall not affect the binding nature of the commercial_guarantee for the guarantor.

4. Member States may lay down rules on other aspects concerning commercial_guarantees which are not regulated in this Article, including rules on the language or languages in which the commercial_guarantee statement is to be made available to the consumer.

Article 18

Right of redress

Where the seller is liable to the consumer because of a lack of conformity resulting from an act or omission, including omitting to provide updates to goods with digital elements in accordance with Article 7(3), by a person in previous links of the chain of transactions, the seller shall be entitled to pursue remedies against the person or persons liable in the chain of transactions. The person against whom the seller may pursue remedies and the relevant actions and conditions of exercise, shall be determined by national law.

Article 25

Review

The Commission shall, not later than 12 June 2024, review the application of this Directive, including its provisions on remedies and burden of proof — also with respect to second-hand goods as well as goods sold at public_auctions — and the producer's commercial_guarantee of durability, and submit a report to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the European Economic and Social Committee. The report shall assess in particular whether the application of this Directive and Directive (EU) 2019/770 ensures a consistent and coherent framework for the proper functioning of the internal market with regard to the supply of digital_content, digital_services and goods with digital elements in line with principles governing Union policies. The report shall be accompanied, where appropriate, by legislative proposals.

whereas

(4) E-commerce is a key driver for growth within the internal market.
However, its growth potential is far from being fully exploited.
In order to strengthen Union competitiveness and to boost growth, the Union needs to act swiftly and encourage economic actors to unleash the full potential offered by the internal market.
The full potential of the internal market can only be unleashed if all market participants enjoy smooth access to cross-border sales of goods including in e-commerce transactions.
The contract law rules on the basis of which market participants conclude transactions are among the key factors shaping business decisions as to whether to offer goods cross-border.
Those rules also influence consumers' willingness to embrace and trust this type of purchase.

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(10) This Directive should cover rules applicable to the sales of goods, including goods with digital elements, only in relation to key contract elements needed to overcome contract-law related barriers in the internal market.
For this purpose, rules on requirements for conformity, remedies available to consumers for a lack of conformity of the goods with the contract and on the main modalities for their exercise should be fully harmonised, and the level of consumer protection, as compared to Directive 1999/44/EC, should be increased.
Fully harmonised rules on some essential elements of consumer contract law would make it easier for businesses, especially SMEs, to offer their products in other Member States.
Consumers would benefit from a high level of consumer protection and welfare gains by fully harmonising key rules.

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(13) This Directive and Directive (EU) 2019/770 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) should complement each other.
While Directive (EU) 2019/770 lays down rules on certain requirements concerning contracts for the supply of digital_content or digital_services, this Directive lays down rules on certain requirements concerning contracts for the sale of goods.
Accordingly, in order to meet the expectations of consumers and ensure a clear-cut and simple legal framework for traders of digital_content or digital_services, Directive (EU) 2019/770 applies to the supply of digital_content or digital_services, including digital_content supplied on a tangible medium, such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and memory cards, as well as to the tangible medium itself, provided that the tangible medium serves exclusively as a carrier of the digital_content.
In contrast, this Directive should apply to contracts for the sale of goods, including goods with digital elements which require digital_content or a digital_service in order to perform their functions.

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(15) This Directive should apply to contracts for the sale of goods, including goods with digital elements where the absence of the incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or digital_service would prevent the goods from performing their functions and where that digital_content or service is provided with the goods under the sales_contract concerning those goods.
Whether the supply of the incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or digital_service forms part of the sales_contract with the seller should depend on the content of this contract.
This should include incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or digital_services the supply of which is explicitly required by the contract.
It should also include sales_contracts which can be understood as covering the supply of specific digital_content or a specific digital_service because they are normal for goods of the same type and the consumer could reasonably expect them given the nature of the goods and taking into account any public statement made by or on behalf of the seller or other persons in previous links of the chain of transactions, including the producer.
If, for example, a smart TV were advertised as including a particular video application, that video application would be considered to be part of the sales_contract.
This should apply regardless of whether the digital_content or digital_service is pre-installed in the good itself or has to be downloaded subsequently on another device and is only inter-connected to the good.
For example, a smart phone could come with a standardised pre-installed application provided under the sales_contract, such as an alarm application or a camera application.
Another possible example is that of a smart watch.
In such a case, the watch itself would be considered to be the good with digital elements, which can perform its functions only with an application that is provided under the sales_contract but has to be downloaded by the consumer onto a smart phone; the application would then be the inter-connected digital element.
This should also apply if the incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or digital_service is not supplied by the seller itself but is supplied, under the sales_contract, by a third party.
In order to avoid uncertainty for both sellers and consumers, in the event of doubt as to whether the supply of the digital_content or the digital_service forms part of the sales_contract, the rules of this Directive should apply.
Furthermore, ascertaining a bilateral contractual relationship, between the seller and the consumer, of which the supply of the incorporated or inter-connected digital_content or digital_service forms part should not be affected by the mere fact that the consumer has to consent to a licensing agreement with a third party in order to benefit from the digital_content or the digital_service.

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(17) For the purpose of legal clarity this Directive should lay down a definition of a sales_contract and also clearly define its scope.
The scope of this Directive should also cover contracts for goods that are yet to be produced or manufactured, including under the consumer's specifications.
Furthermore, an installation of the goods could fall within the scope of this Directive if the installation forms part of the sales_contract and has to be carried out by the seller or under the seller's responsibility.
Where a contract includes elements of both sales of goods and provision of services, it should be left to national law to determine whether the whole contract can be classified as a sales_contract within the meaning of this Directive.

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(30) In addition to contractually agreed updates, the seller should also provide updates, including security updates, in order to ensure that goods with digital elements remain in conformity.
The seller's obligation should be limited to updates which are necessary for such goods to maintain their conformity with the objective and subjective requirements for conformity laid down in this Directive.
Unless the parties have contractually agreed otherwise, the seller should not be obliged to provide upgraded versions of the digital_content or digital_service of the goods or to improve or extend the functionalities of goods beyond the conformity requirements.
If an update provided by the seller, or by a third party supplying the digital_content or digital_service under the sales_contract, causes a lack of conformity of the good with digital elements, the seller should be liable for bringing the good into conformity again.
The consumer should remain free to choose whether to install the updates provided.
Where the consumer decides not to install the updates which are necessary for the goods with digital elements to maintain their conformity, the consumer should however not expect such goods to remain in conformity.
The seller should inform the consumer that the consumer's decision not to install updates which are necessary for keeping the goods with digital elements in conformity, including security updates, will affect the seller's liability for conformity of those features of the goods with digital elements which the relevant updates are supposed to maintain in conformity.
This Directive should not affect obligations to provide security updates laid down in other Union law or in national law.

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(32) Ensuring longer durability of goods is important for achieving more sustainable consumption patterns and a circular economy.
Similarly, keeping non-compliant products out of the Union market by strengthening market surveillance and providing the right incentives to economic operators is essential in order to increase trust in the functioning of the internal market.
For those purposes, product-specific Union legislation is the most appropriate means of introducing durability and other product-related requirements in relation to specific types or groups of products, using for this purpose adapted criteria.
This Directive should therefore be complementary to the objectives pursued in such Union product-specific legislation, and should include durability as an objective criterion for the assessment of conformity of goods.
Durability in this Directive should refer to the ability of the goods to maintain their required functions and performance through normal use.
In order for goods to be in conformity, they should possess the durability which is normal for goods of the same type and which the consumer can reasonably expect given the nature of the specific goods, including the possible need for reasonable maintenance of the goods, such as the regular inspection or changing of filters in a car, and any public statement made by or on behalf of any person constituting a link in the chain of transactions.
The assessment should also take into account all other relevant circumstances, such as the price of the goods and the intensity or frequency of the use that the consumer makes of the goods.
In addition, insofar as specific durability information is indicated in any pre-contractual statement which forms part of the sales_contract, the consumer should be able to rely on them as a part of the subjective requirements for conformity.

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(34) A large number of goods have to be installed before they can be used effectively by the consumer.
In addition, in the case of goods with digital elements, the installation of the digital_content or digital_service is usually necessary for the consumer to be able to use such goods in line with their intended purpose.
Therefore, any lack of conformity resulting from an incorrect installation of the goods, including from the incorrect installation of the digital_content or digital_service incorporated in or inter-connected with the goods, should be regarded as a lack of conformity, where the installation was performed by the seller or under the seller's control.
Where the goods were intended to be installed by the consumer, a lack of conformity resulting from incorrect installation should be regarded as a lack of conformity of the goods, irrespective of whether the installation was performed by the consumer or by a third party under the consumer's responsibility, if the incorrect installation was due to shortcomings in the installation instructions, such as incompleteness or a lack of clarity making the installation instructions difficult to use for the average consumer.

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(61) The principle of the seller's liability for damages is an essential element of sales_contracts.
Consumers should, therefore, be entitled to claim compensation for any detriment caused by an infringement by the seller of this Directive, including for damage suffered as a consequence of a lack of conformity.
Such compensation should put the consumer as much as possible into the position in which the consumer would have been had the goods been in conformity.
As the existence of such a right to damages is already ensured in all Member States, this Directive should be without prejudice to national rules on the compensation of consumers for harm resulting from infringement of those rules.
Member States should also remain free to regulate consumers' entitlement to compensation for situations in which the repair or replacement caused significant inconvenience or was delayed.

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(63) Considering that the seller is liable towards the consumer for any lack of conformity of the goods resulting from an act or omission of the seller or a third party, the seller should be able to pursue remedies against the person responsible in previous links of the chain of transactions.
Such remedies should include those for a lack of conformity which results from the omission of an update, including a security update, which would have been necessary to keep the good with digital elements in conformity.
However, this Directive should not affect the principle of freedom of contract between the seller and other parties in the chain of transactions.
The details for exercising that right, in particular against whom and how such remedies are to be pursued and whether the remedies are of a mandatory nature, should be provided by the Member States.
The question as to whether the consumer can also raise a claim directly against a person in previous links of the chain of transactions should not be regulated by this Directive, except in cases where a producer offers the consumer a commercial_guarantee for the goods.

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(71) It is appropriate for the Commission to review the application of this Directive five years after its entry into force, including in particular the provisions regarding remedies, the burden of proof – also with respect to second-hand goods as well as goods sold at public_auctions – and the producer's commercial_guarantee of durability.
The Commission should also assess whether the application of this Directive and of Directive (EU) 2019/770 ensures a consistent and coherent legal framework with regard to the supply of digital_content or digital_services and goods with digital elements.

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(72) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and freedoms and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including those enshrined in Articles 16, 38 and 47 thereof,

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keyboard_tab Contratti di vendita di beni conformi 2019/0771 EN

Contratti di vendita di beni conformi 2019/0771 EN