Freedom of contract is a fundamental principle of European Union law, a necessary condition for exercising the freedom to choose an occupation and the freedom to conduct a business. Since the global financial crisis, a vast body of regulatory rules has been developed, and freedom of contract of banks and other financial institutions is being restricted, often to protect the weaker party or achieve public policy goals. Freedom of Contract in the European Financial Sector provides a robust analysis of freedom of contract and its restrictions in the European financial sector. Covering EU financial supervision law, general EU law, contract law, and consumer law, this book examines how the interplay between freedom of contract and the protection of the weaker party and the promotion of other public interests impacts banks and other financial institutions. Timely and thought-provoking, this book explores fundamental legal principles and their practical implications that will be highly relevant to scholars and practitioners not only in the EU, but also in the UK, the US, Switzerland, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
