ELI Publishes Pilot Innovation Paper on Guiding Principles for Updating the EU Product Liability Directive for the Digital Age

21.01.2021

On 21 January 2021, the ELI Council adopted the ‘Guiding Principles for Updating the EU Product Liability Directive for the Digital Age’, which set out concrete propositions for updating the EU Product Liability Directive with a view to adapt it to the digital age.

The EU Product Liability Directive has remained unchanged for the past 35 years despite rapid digitalisation. With digital automation and artificial intelligence substituting for human operation, the Institute alerts that the time has come to reform the Directive so that it can continue to protect individuals suffering harm from defective products in the new, digital reality.

The Guiding Principles were prepared by Professor Christian Twigg-Flesner (University of Warwick) in consultation with ELI Members and adopted by the ELI Council and can be found here.

The Institute is considering embarking on a new Innovation Paper Series, more information will follow in due course.