HARMONIZING UNFAIR COMMERCIAL PRACTICES LAW: THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS

Abstract

This article discusses, in light of the European experience concerning harmonization of unfair commercial practices law, the impact of social, cultural, and linguistic variations on the possibility of harmonizing or transplanting rules on commercial communications to consumers. Empirical research on national variations in consumers' responses to advertising and other marketing is used to create a typology of cases in which cultural factors should be taken into account when assessing a commercial practice from a consumer point of view. Differences between countries with regard to consumers' trust, understandings, rationality patterns, decision-making behaviour, values, and preferences are discussed as relevant cases. The empirical examples provide a basis for a criticism of culturally blind harmonization and transplantation attempts.