A comparative assessment of the agency concept, with special regard to the Romanian approach

The concept of agency was developed and refined in the common law system and, thereafter, imported in the continental civil law system where was confronted with the classic institution of the mandate, based on the representation principle. The modern context of the commerce globalisation and the need to assimilate legal instruments that are often used in the international trade, determined the global and European lawmakers to seek a proper harmonised regulation for the agency contract. Romania produced a first regulation of agency through Law 509/2002 regarding the permanent commercial agents and, thereafter, continued the process through the incorporation of the subject in the Civil Code. This paper examines the conformity of the European and Romanian regulations regarding the agency with the initial concept that, purportedly, inspired the afore said lawmakers.