Das unionsrechtliche Verbraucherleitbild

The controversy over the correct consumer model has recently been revived within the study of law. Some parties have criticised that the protection of the weaker, “volatile” consumer has once again become a priority. Furthermore, the question has been asked whether, due to a detailed EU legislation, an abandonment of the legally postulated model of the “informed and responsible average consumer” of the European Court of Justice is taking place. Recent literature shows that the normative reference model of the “reasonable average consumer” has by now outgrown fair trade legislation and is being referenced by various areas of law. In the context of this heated discussion, this work focuses on the question of which other areas of law (e.g. food legislation, drug law legislation, criminal law, financial market law and public economic law) consider the consumer model significant and whether there is still a consistent model open to internal differentiation and assessment.