The Protection of Vulnerable Consumers in European Private Law

Potrošniška ranljivost je večplastna problematika z raznolikimi vzroki, zato je v središču pozornosti evropskih institucij. Magistrsko delo z naslovom »Varstvo ranljivih potrošnikov v evropskem zasebnem pravu« predstavlja, kako so ranljivi potrošniki opredeljeni ter zavarovani v evropskem potrošniškem pravu s poudarkom na razumevanju koncepta ranljivosti v teoriji in praksi. Naloga okvirno opiše zasnovo evropskega potrošniškega prava ter razišče razne teoretične opredelitve pojma ranljivosti in njihove zakonodajne implikacije. Obsežen del naloge je namenjen analizi in kritičnem ovrednotenju veljavnega pravnega korpusa, ki podeljuje pravice ranljivim potrošnikom tako na nivoju splošnega potrošniškega prava kot v sektorski zakonodaji. Iz tega izhaja ugotovitev, da pozitivno pravo zaostaja za raziskavami in dognanji teorije, kar se tiče razumevanja ranljivosti, in posledično ne ponuja ustreznega varstva vsem potrošnikom, ki se lahko znajdejo v ranljivem položaju, še posebej z vidika razvoja digitalnih trgov in univerzalne nevarnosti, ki jo predstavljajo za potrošnike.Consumer vulnerability is a complex issue with varried causes and effects. The discussion on consumer vulnerability is therefore gaining traction on the european level. This master\u27s thesis, entitled »The Protection of Vulnerable Consumers in European Private Law« presents how vulnerable consumers are defined and protected in the context of European consumer law, with special emphasis on the understanding of the concept of vulnerability in both theory and practice. The thesis briefly deals with the basis upon which the EU consumer protection law is build upon and explores the many theoretical views on vulnerability and their broader policy implications. A large part of the thesis is dedicated to the analysis and evaluation of the existing vulnerable consumer protection law, first focusing on directives of general consumer law and then on the sectoral directives. From this emerges the conclusion that positive european law is falling behind the predominant theoretical views on the understanding of vulnerability as a whole and thus does not provide adequate protection to all consumers who may find themselves in a vulnerable position, especially in view of the ever evolving digital markets and the universal danger they present for consumers