The Subtle Europeanization of Contract Law: The Case of Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices

2015 marks the tenth anniversary of Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices. Ever since its adoption, the effects of this directive on contract law have remained unclear. The ambiguity has primarily been caused by the separation between the law on unfair commercial practices and contract law that the directive introduced. In this article, I argue that despite the existence of this formal partition, Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices has, indeed, influenced and shaped contract law. In such manner, the directive has proven to be a subtle but powerful instrument aimed to contribute to the process of Europeanization of contract law.