The Product Liability Directive: Time to get Soft?

The Product Liability Directive was adopted in 1985. Despite ample evidence of uncertainty as to the meaning of some key provisions, there is no sign that the Commission is keen to engage in a revision of the Directive. Our intention in this article is not to prescribe substantive solutions but to consider how, methodologically, reform might be achieved. Whilst some potential reforms, such as the removal of the ten year long-stop, may require legislative intervention we consider if there is any scope for making the law more certain with developments based on alternative 'soft law' techniques for promoting greater certainty. We conclude that Guidance may be helpful, but should be founded on a minor amendment to the Directive authorising such Guidance to be developed.