Future-proofing EU consumer law: A legal framework for assessing and enhancing adaptability to disruption

The impact of digital innovations on the single market and consumer practices requires that EU consumer protection laws keep up with technology. While EU policymakers have acknowledged the need for more future-proof legislation, current consumer protection laws are lagging behind, leaving consumers exposed to new risks and possibly hindering further innovation. At the same time, concrete research results regarding measures that EU policymakers can implement are scarce. To address this challenge, this book develops a framework to assess and enhance the adaptability of EU consumer law, factoring in a major challenge in future-proof legislation, namely the balance between flexibility and legal certainty. The findings of this research equip EU policymakers with practical tools to improve legal adaptability, offer businesses insights for smoother compliance in a changing regulatory landscape, and help protect consumer rights in the digital single market.