The New Product Liability Directive

On 23 October 2024, the European Union passed a new Product Liability Directive (PLD) and repealed the initial version from 1985. The new text has brought considerable improvements, but many fundamental questions are still left open on the eve of the Directive’s implementation, which the Member States must complete by 9 December 2026. Led by David Messner-Kreuzbauer (Institute for European Tort Law), the book project assembles mid-career scholars who have pursued research on relevant core issues. They will offer an in-depth discussion of the most pressing questions (such as whether the Directive adequately addresses AI, how far services and information can now be seen as a ‘product’, or whether the PLD’s strategy for dealing with factual and scientific uncertainty is successful). The project thereby aims to aid national legislators, courts, and anyone else interested in Product Liability at this crucial time for the new Directive’s success.

A symposium takes place in Vienna on 12 June 2025.
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