Rivista del Diritto Commerciale e del diritto generale delle Obbligazioni

Abstract: The adaption of long-term contracts during Covid-19 The Covid-19 pandemic and all consequential measures taken to cope with the emergency situation have demonstrated the importance of remedies for the preservation of long-term contracts. The paper will outline the remedy of the adaption of contracts in the current Italian legal system, taking into account the Uniform Private Law (see Unidroit Principles, the Principles of European Contract Law, the Draft Common Frame of Reference), in order to manage long-term contracts concluded before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Author will show that the solutions vary depending on whether the parties have or have not included force majeure and/or hardship clauses in their contracts, which provide for consequences of invoking them. Finally the paper will focus on the future and, in particular, on the Draft Law on the revision of the Italian civil code. This includes the right of the parties to renegotiate the contract and, if the renegotiation fails, the right of the parties to request the judge to adapt the contract to the changed circumstances with a view to restoring its balance. This would apply if the continued performance of its contractual duties had become excessively onerous due to an event or events beyond its reasonable control, which could not have been foreseen at the time of the conclusion of the contract.  

Sommario: 1. La revisione del contratto nel codice civile e nelle leggi speciali. – 2. La revisione del contratto nei provvedimenti adottati dall’Italia durante la pandemia. – 3. Il ruolo dell’autonomia privata nella gestione delle sopravvenienze. – 4. L’impossibilità parziale e il rimedio della riduzione. – 5. L’hardship e la force majeure nei Principi Unidroit, nei Principi Lando, nel Draft Common Frame of Reference. – 6. Conclusioni.

Keywords: Long-term contracts — Hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic — Remedies.