欧洲合同法通则简介
欧洲合同法通则由三部分组成。第一部分主要规定了履行的种类、不履行、不履行时救济手段以及一系列一般问题(如适用、任意法特点、概念规定及交易过程中的一般行为义务等)。该通则第一部分的起草工作始于1982年并持续到1995年，欧洲合同法委员会在此期间召开12次会议磋商该部分内容并最终确定了总计59条的内容。该通则的第二部分起草工作始于1992年并持续至1995年，委员会就此共召开9次会议讨论该部分内容。第二部分共计73条，涉及到如下内容：合同的订立、代理权限、合同的生效(包括意思表示瑕疵，但不包括违反强行法和违反善良风俗的规定)、合同的解释以及合同的内容和效力。第三部分与第二部分不同的是，第三部分至始并没有与业已出版的前两部分统一出版，而是单独刊行。该通则的三个部分全部由上面已经提到的欧洲合同法通则委员会起草，该委员会基于个人的动议而成立，其成员由来自欧共体所有成员国的学者组成。
该通则受到美国法重述的启示：每一卷都包括委员会一致同意的条款内容，此外，还包括案例适用在内的条款评注(comment)以及比较法上的法律批注(note)，该批注主要涉及到欧盟成员国的国内相关规定，当然这也兼顾了国际条约、尤其是联合国国际货物销售合同公约(ＣＩＳＧ)。3个委员会的工作语言基本上全部是英文，其余为法文。欧洲合同法通则并不仅仅在外表上接近美国法重述，该通则在更大程度上旨在法律统一，从民族国家的法律角度出发，前者比后者更追求法律改革和推动法律发展。因此，较之于美国法重述的立法者，欧洲合同法通则的起草者面临一个更具创造性的任务，因为前者仅赋予其工作一个宣示性、确定美国共同私法的功能。当然，委员会一如既往努力探求欧盟所有成员国合同法的共同核心(common core)以及探求反映当代超国家的法律发展轨迹。依据起草者的目的，该通则在欧洲的任何地方都可适用该通则，从而可供成员国法学研究和判例使用。
CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS第一章一般规定
Section 1 - Scope of the Principles第一节本原则的适用范围
rticle 1.101- Application of the Principles第1:101条：本原则的适用
(1) These Principles are intended to be applied as general rules of contract law in the European Communities.
本原则拟作为合同法的一般规则在欧洲共同体适用。
(2) These Principles will apply when the parties have agreed to incorporate them into their contract or that their contract is to be governed by them.
如果当事人已约定将本原则订入其合同或者其合同受本原则的规制，本原则即予适用。
(3) These Principles may be applied when the parties: (a) have agreed that their contract is to be governed by ‘general principles of law’, the ‘lex mercatoria’ or the like; or (b) have not chosen any system or rules of law to govern their contract.
当事人于符合下列条件时，可适用本原则：1.约定其合同受“法的一般原则”、“商人法”或类似者之规制时；或者2.没有选择任何法律制度或者法律规则规制其合同。
(4) These Principles may provide a solution to the issue raised where the system or rules of law applicable do not do so.
当可得适用的法律制度或法律规则对所产生的问题未提供解决方案时，本原则得作为一种解决方案。
Article 1.102 - Freedom of contract第1:102条：合同自由
(1) Parties are free to enter into a contract and to determine its contents, subject to the requirements of good faith and fair dealing, and the mandatory rules established by these Principles.
当事人可以自由缔结合同并决定其内容，但要符合诚实信用和公平交易，以及由本原则确立的强制性规则。
(2) The parties may exclude the application of any of the Principles or derogate from or vary their effects, except as otherwise provided by these Principles.
当事人可以排除本原则的适用或者背离或变更其效力，除非本原则另有规定。
Article 1.103 - Mandatory Law第1:103条：强行法
(1) Where the otherwise applicable law so allows, the parties may choose to have their contract governed by the Principles, with the effect that national mandatory rules are not applicable.
在其他可得适用的法律亦允许之场合，当事人可以选择使其合同受本原则的规制，以使国内的强制性规则不能适用。
(2) Effect should nevertheless be given to those mandatory rules of national, supranational and international law which, according to the relevant rules of private international law, are applicable irrespective of the law governing the contract.
依据有关国际私法规则，如国内的、超国家的以及国际的强制性规则能够适用时，则应赋予这些强制性规则以效力，而不管规制该合同的法律。
Article 1.104 - Application to questions of consent第1:104条：对同意之问题的适用
(1) The existence and validity of the agreement of the parties to adopt or incorporate these Principles shall be determined by these Principles.
当事人对适用本原则的合意，其存在及生效应依本原则加以确定。
(2) Nevertheless, a party may rely upon the law of the country in which it has its habitual residence to establish that it did not consent if it appears from the circumstances that it would not be reasonable to determine the effect of its conduct in accordance with these Principles.
然一方当事人可以依据它的惯常居所所在国的法律来证明它不同意，只要情况表明依据本原则确定它的行为的效力将是不合理的。
Article 1.105 - Usages and Practices第1:105条：惯例与习惯做法
(1) The parties are bound by any usage to which they have agreed and by any practice they have established between themselves.
当事人受它们同意的惯例以及它们之间确立的习惯做法的拘束。
(2) The parties are bound by a usage which would be considered generally applicable by persons in the same situation as the parties, except where the application of such usage would be