ABSTRACT
Although socialist countries based their economies on the Soviet model of state planning during the Cold War, over time they developed their own consumer protection structures. In a centrally controlled economy, consumers typically contracted directly with state-controlled enterprises (state-consumer transactions). This meant that the state acted in a dual role (as contracting party and market regulator) and caused some idiosyncrasies in terms of the shape of consumer policy. The axis of consumer protection in socialist countries was regulations on the quality of products and services, supplemented by incidental standards developed by case law. After the free-market transition, the legacy of socialism left a limited mark on consumer law in Central and Eastern European countries.
Grochowski, Mateusz, Socialist Consumer Law (March 29, 2024) in H-W Micklitz and M Namysłowska, Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Consumer Law, Forthcoming.
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