Collection of Legal Studies for the Retail and Distribution Sector

The publication of this Collection of Legal Studies for the Retail and Distribution Sector is based on our understanding of a dual institutional duty of the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED).
On the one hand, APED's duty to promote and carry out studies and initiatives of interest to its members and to the retail activity in general, in strict compliance with one of its fundamental missions.
On the other hand, the duty to mark three decades of commitment and dedication of APED's Legal Affairs Committee to the service of its members, through the provision of qualified legal support and the constant monitoring of the regulatory challenges that mark the sector's activity.
The current moment the sector is going through is not unrelated to the decision to publish this work. In recent years, retail and distribution have been confronted with an authentic "regulatory tsunami," marked by an unprecedented succession of legislative initiatives that directly affect companies' activities.
Given the intensity and complexity of the normative myriad that impacts the sector, regulatory monitoring is not only relevant but truly indispensable, both nationally and European-wide. Although we are aware that, today, as recognized by Enrico Letta in the seminal report Much More Than a Market, released on April 18, 2024, about 80% of national legislation results from decisions adopted in Brussels, it is no less true that the understanding, interpretation, and application of this normative framework continue to require permanent and specialized monitoring by economic operators and the structures that represent them.
The breadth of topics that legitimately cause concern in the sector today is wide enough to justify a collective, multidisciplinary, and prospective reflection on the challenges ahead.
This collection of texts was built around some of these challenges, seeking to contribute to the reflection and deepening of knowledge on central issues for the sector.
The contributions gathered in this collection cover a set of matters that are absolutely crucial for the activity of the retail and distribution sector. From the increasing densification of the economic regulatory framework to the evolution of consumer law, from commercial and labor relations to digital transformation, from business sustainability to artificial intelligence, the texts presented here reflect the diversity and complexity of the legal challenges facing economic operators today.
The following pages cover such current topics as the regime of economic contraventions, consumer dispute resolution, distance contracts, comparative advertising, working time management, food donation, and worker information and consultation. Reflections on the impact of artificial intelligence, the protection of copyright, companies' new due diligence duties regarding sustainability, and the challenges posed by e-commerce and digital markets also deserve mention.
More than an exercise in legal systematization, this work aims to be a space for reflection on some of the issues that mark the current state of the sector, bringing together academic, business, regulatory, and forensic perspectives that enrich the debate and contribute to a better understanding of the challenges facing retail and distribution in a context of profound economic, technological, and regulatory transformation.
I would, therefore, like to thank everyone who participated in this collective work, the coordination of APED's Legal Affairs Committee, and the Publisher of the Academic Association of the Faculty of Law of Lisbon for the interest and availability shown in the editing and publication of this collection.

Work Details:

• Author: Coordinated by José Miguel Figueiredo
• Publisher: AAFDL Editora
• Number of Pages: 474