国际贸易中代理合同ICC.docx
- 文档编号:4226304
- 上传时间:2022-11-28
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:16
- 大小:30.19KB
国际贸易中代理合同ICC.docx
《国际贸易中代理合同ICC.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《国际贸易中代理合同ICC.docx(16页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
国际贸易中代理合同ICC
MODELFORMOFAGENCYCONTRACTFORINTERNATIONALTRADE
1.Auniformmodelformforinternationaltrade
Whennegotiatingagencyagreementsabroad,oneofthemaindifficultieswhichpartiesengagedininternationaltradearefacedwithisthelackofuniformrulesforagreementsofthistype.Sincethereisnointernationallyagreeduniformlegislationonthesubject(unlikeforexampleinthecaseoftheinternationalsalescontracts),partiesmustrelyonnationallawsonagencywhich:
(i)donottakeintoaccountthespecificneedsofinternationaltrade(sincetheyhavebeenenactedinprimisforthedomesticagreements,and(ii)substantiallydifferfromonecountrytoanother.
InparticulartheHagueConventionsof1964and,morerecently,theViennaConventionontheInternationalSalesofGoodsof1980.Thereisnow,toacertainextent,atendencytowardsharmonizationofnationallaws,atleastwithintheEEC,inparticularonthebasisofEECDirectiven°86/653of18December1986.However,suchharmonizationisslowandcoversonlycertainaspectsofthecontract;whilstitiscertainlyusefulinordertocreatecommongroundforthebasicprinciplesofagencies,itisinsufficienttograntlegalsecurityininternationaltransactions.
Moreover,thedirectiveprovidesforalternativesolutionsandleavesMemberStatesfreetomaintain(orpossiblyadoptinthefuture)provisionswhichderogatetothedirectiveinfavoroftheagent.UndertheseconditionstheICCbelievesthereisaneedforuniformcontractualrules,whichare,notbasedonanyspecificnationallaw,butwhichincorporatetheprevailingpracticeininternationaltradeaswellastheprinciplesgenerallyrecognizedbythedomesticlawsonagency.Inpreparingthismodelform,theworkinggrouphastriedtofindfairandbalancedsolutionstothemainproblemsarisingfromanagencyrelationship,inaccordancewithprevailinglegislativestandards(andinparticularthoseindicatedintheEECdirective).However,sinceitisimpossibletomakeuniformrulesand,atthesametime,torespecteveryruleofthevariousnationallaws(whichmoreovermaycontradictthemselves),themodelformmaycontainsomeclauseswhicharenotinaccordancewithspecificmandatoryprovisionsofaparticularlegalsystem.However,sinceitisinlinewiththebasicprinciplesofdomesticagencylaws,theriskofconflictwithnationalpublicprovisions(andinparticularwithdomesticruleswhichwouldremainapplicablewhateverthelawapplicabletothecontract)shouldbealmostnon-existent;inanyevent,inordertocoverexceptionalsituationsofthiskind,itisexpresslystatedthat,ifaconflictwithrulesofthecountryoftheagentarises,thelatterprovisionsshouldinanycasebeconsideredbythearbitrators,iftheirapplicationappearsreasonableinthecontextofinternationaltrade(art.23.3).
2.Provisionsonindemnity.
Thereareprovisionsinacertainnumberofcountrieswhichgranttheagentanindemnityifthecontractexpiresoristerminatedforreasonsotherthanadefaultattributabletotheagent.Such"indemnity"maybeconstruedasacompensationforgoodwillcreatedbytheagentandwhichaccruestotheprincipalaftertheendofthecontract,orasacompensationforthelosssufferedbytheagent(e.g.thecommissionshewouldhaveearnedhadthecontractlastedforalongerperiodortheinvestmentshewouldhaveamortizedifthecontracthadnotbeenterminated)asaconsequenceoftheexpirationorterminationofthecontract.Thisideacharacterizese.g.German,SwissandDutchlaw.UndertheFrenchsystem:
seenotablyarticle3oftheDecreeof23December1958"lagentcommercialadrotalareparationduprejudiceoueluicauselacessationdesesrelationsaveclecommettant"Thesetwosolutionshavebeenincorporated(asalternatives)inarticle17.2and17.3oftheEECDirective.Infacttheyhavethesamepurpose,i.e.tocompensatetheagentforthelossofgoodwillwhenthecontractisterminatedwithouthisfault:
wewillhereafterrefertotheaboveindemnityorcompensationas"goodwillindemnity".Ontheotherside,therearemanycountrieswherenorighttoagoodwillindemnityisgrantedtotheagent.
Thisdoesnotexcludeofcoursethattheagentmaybeentitledtocompensationfordamagessufferedasaconsequenceofacontractterminationwhichamountstoabreachofthecontractbytheprincipal.Undertheseconditionsitappearsappropriatetogivethepartiestheopportunitytochooseiftheywishtoincludeornottheindemnityprovisionintheircontract.Forthispurpose,article21providestwoalternatives(AandB)inordertocoverthedifferentsituations.ItisstronglyrecommendedtochoosealternativeAwhenevertherighttoindemnityisrecognizedbythelawoftheagent'scountry;inparticular,asconcernsEECcountries,alternativeAofarticle21wouldconflictwithmandatoryrulesofthelegislationoftheagent'splaceofbusiness.Furthermore,incaseswherenosuchlegislationexists,itmaybefairtogranttheindemnity,particularlyifthisconformswithinternationaltradingpracticeinthatparticularbusinessand/orarea.Asconcernsthesystemofindemnification,themodelformhasincorporatedtheprinciplescontainedinarticle17.2oftheEECdirective,i.e.the"German"system,whichappearstobeprevailinginthecountrieswhichrecognizetheindemnity.6Thismeansthattheindemnitysystemofthemodelformisnotinstrictcompliancewiththelawsofthecountries(likeFrance)whichfollowthealternativesolutionsetforthinarticle17.3oftheEECdirective.However,sincethesubstanceoftheagent'srightsisrecognized,thisshouldnotgiverisetoparticularproblems.
3.Recoursetointernationalarbitration
Sincethemodelformisasetofuniformcontractualrules,avoiding(asfaraspossible)thedirectapplicationofconflictingdomesticlegislation,itisappropriatethatpossibledisputesbesolvedbyauniformresolutionsystem,organizedonaninternationallevel.Fromthispointofviewthebestsolutionappearstobeinternationalcommercialarbitration(seeparticularlyart.23),whichpermitsatrulyinternationalapproachandavoidstheriskofdifferentiationwhichwouldariseincaseofrecoursetodomesticcourts.Sincearbitrationisessentialintheframeworkofthismodel,thisICCmodelcontractshouldnotbeusedincaseswherethedisputemaybeconsideredasnon-arbitrable(i.e."capableofsettlementbyarbitration")accordingtotheNewYorkConventionof1958.Theaboveriskexistsinparticularundernationallawswhichassimilateagentstoemployees(seehereunder,§4.2.),wheneverthisimpliesaspecialjurisdictionfordisputesofthistype.Inthesesituationsitisnormallyrecommendedtocontractwithagentswhoarelegalpersons(seehereafter,§4.2.)E.g.fortheV.R.P.(France)andtheRepresentantsdecommerce(Belgium)orforagentsactingmainlywithpersonalresources(Italy).Inallthesecasesthenationallawprovidesanexclusivejurisdiction(specializedinlabordisputes)whichcannotbeexcludedbyanarbitrationclause.
4.Scopeofapplication
Thismodelformhasbeenpreparedontheassumptionthatitwouldapplyonlytointernationalagencyagreements,withself-employedcommercialagents,actingforthesaleofgoods.
4.1.Internationalagreements
Inthisrespectitisundisputablethatinternationalagencyagreementsshouldbegovernedbyspecialrulesinordertotakeintoaccountthespecialsituationwhichexistsinanagencyagreementbetweenpartiesoftwodifferentcountries.Sincethepresentmodelformhasbeenestablishedespeciallyforthesesituations,itwill,inprinciple,notbeappropriatefordomesticcontracts,i.e.contractsbetweenpartieshavingtheirplaceofbusinessinthesamecountry.Thepartiesarethereforeadvisednottousethismodelformfordomesticcontracts,unlesstheycheckwhichamendmentsarenecessaryinordertocomplywithalocalsituation.
4.2.Contractswithemployedagents
Inseveralcountriesspecialrulesgoverncontractswithagentsqualifiedasemployees,ormoregenerallywithagentsassimilatedtothestatusofemployees.E.g.inFrance,withregardtoVRP(Voyageurs,representantsplaciers),andinBelgiumfor"representantsdecommerce".Theaboverulesestablishapresumptionthattheagentisanemployee:
thus,evenifthecontractclearlystatesthattheagentisindependent,hewillinprinciplebeconsideredtobeanemployee.IntheNetherlands,laborlawmayapplytotheso-calledEinfirmenvertreter,i.e.agentswhichrepresentonlyoneprincipal.E.g.inItalythespecialproceduralrules(whichexcludeinteraliarecoursetoarbitration)whichgovernemploymentcontractsalsoapplytoagencycontracts,inallcaseswheretheagenthasnoimportantorganizationofhisown,butisactingmainlywithhisownfamilyandpersonalresources.
Incountriesoftheabovetypethereisariskthattheagentmaybequalified(independentlyofthedefinitiongiveninthecontract)asanemployeeandthatconsequentlytherulesapplicabletoemployedagents(whichwillinmanycasesconflictwiththeprovisionsofthismodelform)willapply.Asimplewaytoavoidsuchproblems,particularlyinthecontextofthismodelform,couldbetocontractwithagentswhoarelegalpersons(e.g.companies):
thissolutionisespeciallyrecommendedwhentheagentisestablishedinacountrywhereawidenotionofemployedagents(oragentsassimilatedtoemployedagents)isacceptedbythelaworjurisprudence.Sinceitisnormallyadmittedthatalegalentitycannot,bydefinition,beconsideredasanemployee.
4.3.Buyingagents
Thismodelismeantforagentswhorepresentasellerofgoods,w
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 国际贸易 代理 合同 ICC