THE NOTION AND THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF LATE PAYMENT IN COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION LAW

Predmetom rada su pojam zakašnjenja s plaćanjem izložen u Direktivi 2011/7/EU o suzbijanju zakašnjenja s plaćanjem u trgovačkim ugovorima te pravne posljedice zakašnjenja s plaćanjem predviđene odredbama direktive. Jedan cilj rada je pojmovnom analizom te gramatičkim, sustavnim i teleološkim tumačenjem utvrditi značenje pojedinih odredbi direktive. Drugi cilj rada je ocijeniti u kojoj se mjeri može ostvariti operativni cilj direktive: pružanje vjerovnicima instrumenata koji će im omogućiti da potpuno i učinkovito ostvare svoja prava u slučajevima zakašnjenja s plaćanjem. Analizom pojma zakašnjenja s plaćanjem izloženog u Direktivi 2011/7/EU, utvrđuje se da direktiva predviđa subjektivni koncept zakašnjenja dužnika s plaćanjem. Raspravlja se o razlikama subjektivnog i objektivnog koncepta zakašnjenja dužnika s plaćanjem te se izvodi zaključak da je objektivni koncept prihvatljiviji i povoljniji za vjerovnike novčanih obveza. U svjetlu teorijskih prijepora o funkciji zateznih kamata, razmatra se funkcija koju zatezne kamate, kao pravna posljedica zakašnjenja s plaćanjem, imaju u kontekstu odredaba direktive. Kako je direktivom uvedena i posebna naknada za troškove prouzrokovane vjerovniku dužnikovim zakašnjenjem s plaćanjem, raspravlja se i o funkciji te posebne naknade. Kao praktično pitanje, utvrđuju se nedostaci uređenja zakašnjenja s plaćanjem predviđenog Direktivom 2011/7/EU, te iznose prijedlozi za učinkovitija rješenja de lege ferenda.This paper deals with the notion of late payment set out in the Directive 2011/7/EU on combating late payment in commercial transactions, as well as with the legal consequences of late payment provided by the provisions of the Directive. The first aim of the paper is to determine the meaning of certain provisions of the Directive, through conceptual analysis and grammatical, systematic and teleological interpretation. The second aim is to assess the extent to which the Directive can achieve its operative objective: to provide creditors with instruments that will enable them to fully and effectively exercise their rights in cases of late payment. Analyzing the notion of late payment, it is determined that the directive provides for a subjective concept of late payment. The differences between the subjective and the objective concept of late payment are being discussed and the conclusion is drawn that the objective concept is more acceptable and favourable to creditors of monetary obligations. In light of the theoretical disputes about the function of interest for late payment, it is examined which function the interest for late payment has in the context of the provisions of the Directive. Since the latter also introduced a special compensation for recovery costs, attempt is made to determine its function as well. As a matter of practical importance, the defects of the regulation of late payment set forth in the Directive 2011/7/EU are identified, accompanied with the proposals for more efficient solutions de lege ferenda