UNIDROIT PRINCIPLES
Università degli Studi di Parma
International Markets and Organizations Law
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ORIGINS SCOPE AND
MEMBERSHIP

The International Institute for the Unification of
Private Law (Unidroit) is an independent
intergovernmental Organisation:

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studies needs and methods for modernising, harmonising
and co-ordinating private and in particular commercial law
as between States and groups of States,
formulates uniform law instruments, principles and rules to
achieve those objectives.
ORIGINS SCOPE AND
MEMBERSHIP



Set up in 1926 as an auxiliary organ of the League of
Nations.
Re-established in 1940 on the basis of a multilateral
agreement.
Membership of Unidroit is restricted to States acceding
to the Unidroit Statute.
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Unidroit's 63 member States are drawn from the five continents
and represent a variety of different legal, economic and political
systems as well as different cultural backgrounds.
STRUCTURE
The Secretariat
Governing Council
General Assembly
1.
2.
3.
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LEX MERCATORIA
Lex mercatoria is the Latin expression for a body
of trading principles used by merchants
throughout Europe in the medieval period.
 It evolved as a system of custom and best
practice, which was enforced through a system of
merchant courts along the main trade routes.
 A distinct feature was the reliance by merchants
on a legal system developed and administered by
them.

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OBJECTIVES OF UNIDROIT
PRINCIPLES
Summarize the rules and practice relating to a
contract that appear common to majority of the
legal systems.
 Give body to the lex mercatoria, which has
always suffered criticism for being too vague and
uncertain about its contents.
 Propose some innovative solutions that meet the
needs of international trade.

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WHEN AND HOW USE THE
UNIDROIT PRINCIPLES

With reference to the possible use of the UNIDROIT
principles, the preamble of the Principles of 2004
establishes that:
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
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These Principles set for the general rules for
international commercial contract.
They shall be applied when the parties have agreed that
their contract will be governed by them.
They may be applied when the parties have agreed that
their contract will be governed by general principles of
the lex mercatoria.
… continues
WHEN AND HOW USE THE
UNIDROIT PRINCIPLES



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They may be applied when the parties have not chosen any law to
govern their contract.
They may be used to interpret or supplement international
uniform law instruments.
They may be used to interpret or supplement domestic law.
They may serve as a model for national and international
legislators.
FROM 1994 TO 2004

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The success of the 1994 UNIDROIT principles led,
in April 2004, the publication of new standards,
which, in essence, takes and keeps intact the
principles of 1994 by adding new chapters and
articles in order to further improve the utility
STRUCTURE AND COMPARISON
OF THE PRINCIPLES
2004
1994
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL
PROVISIONS
 CHAPTER 2: FORMATION
 CHAPTER 3: VALIDITY
 CHAPTER 4:
INTERPRETATION
 CHAPTER 5: CONTENT
 CHAPTER 6: PERFORMANCE
 CHAPTER 7: NONPERFORMANCE
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CHAPTER
1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER
2: FORMATION AND
AUTHORITY OF AGENTS
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
4: INTERPRETATION
5: CONTENT AND THIRD
PARTY RIGHTS
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
3: VALIDITY
6: PERFORMANCE
7: NON-PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER
8: SET-OFF
CHAPTER
9: ASSIGNMENT OF
RIGHTS, TRANSFER OF
OBLIGATIONS, ASSIGNMENT OF
CONTRACTS
CHAPTER
10: LIMITATION PERIODS
UNIDROIT PRINCIPLES &
EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW
European Contract Law (2002) is useless
repetition of the Unidroit Principles with some
differences:

1.
2.
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Unidroit Principles are applied to international
commercial contracts while ECL are enforced only
inside EU.
Unidroit Principles are B2B contracts while ECL are
B2B and also B2C.
CONCRETE EXAMPLE
Data: 27-09-1996
Corte: Corte arbitrale internazionale della CCI, Parigi
Numero: 8261
Parti: Sconosciute
Keywords
 SILENZIO DEL CONTRATTO SUL DIRITTO APPLICABILE
 DECISIONE DELLA CORTE DI APPLICARE LA LEXMERCATORIA
RIFERIMENTI
UNIDROIT:
ALLE
SEGUENTI
SINGOLE
DISPOSIZIONI
DEI
PRINCIPI
ARTT. 4.8 (INSERZIONE DI CLAUSOLE MANCANTI),
4.6 (INTERPRETAZIONE CONTRO L'AUTORE DELLA CLAUSOLA),
7.4.1 (DIRITTO AL RISARCIMENTO DEL DANNO),
7.4.7 (DANNO IMPUTABILE IN PARTE AL DANNEGGIATO);
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7.4.13 (INDENNITÀ PER INADEMPIMENTO STABILITA DAL CONTRATTO)
CONCRETE EXAMPLE
Abstract
Una società italiana ed un ente governativo di uno Stato del Medio Oriente
avevano concluso un contratto. Tale contratto non conteneva alcuna
clausola di scelta del diritto applicabile, dal momento che entrambe le parti
avevano insistito per l'applicazione dei loro rispettivi diritti nazionali.
In una precedente decisione preliminare, riguardante la legge applicabile
alla controversia, la Corte aveva dichiarato che avrebbe fondato la
pronuncia definitiva sulle « clausole del contratto, integrate dai principi
generali del commercio come risultanti dalla lex mercatoria.»
Successivamente la Corte, nel trattare il merito della controversia, ha fatto
riferimento, senza ulteriori spiegazioni, a specifiche disposizioni dei
Principi UNIDROIT considerando pertanto implicitamente questi ultimi una
fonte della lex mercatoria.
… continues
CONCRETE EXAMPLE
Così la Corte, a parte una ulteriore decisione preliminare su
questioni incidentali di merito in cui ha comunque fatto
riferimento agli artt 4.8(Inserzione di clausole mancanti) e 4.6
(Interpretazione contro l'autore della clausola), nella sua
decisione finale ha irrevocato a sostegno delle proprie
argomentazioni gli artt. 7.4.1 (Diritto 111 risarcimento del
danno), 7.4.7 (Danno imputabile in parte al danneggiato) e
7.4.13 (Indennità per inadempimento stabilita dal contratto.)
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From M.J. Bonell. Principi UNIDROIT nella pratica: casistica e bibliografia riguardanti i principi UNIDROIT
nei contratti commerciali internazionali, 2 nd ed. Trans. Publ. Inc. New York 1997, 249
THANKS FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!
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