For a long time, governments have been attempting more and more to regulate franchising. Examples abound in Australia, France, Spain – even in the United States: in Australia, the franchise industry must cope with a 400-page disclosure law; in the U.S., legislators are doing their best to harm the growth of franchising in the belief that they protect free competition and fair trading; in Albania, franchising is part of the Civil Code.

For the last two years the Greek Government explores the question as to whether franchising should be regulated or not. There is a history behind this question. More specifically there has been a line of cases where franchisees suffered severe damages as a result of fraudulent behavior in some franchisors.

Agency and distribution agreements are in the forefront of agreements concluded between multi-nationals and their local subsidiaries throughout the EU territory. However the legal consequences deriving therefrom vary depending on the choice of the specific agreement, ie. agency or distribution agreement, given that each one entails different obligations (mainly) for the principal but also for the agent.