Otežano ispunjenje ugovorne obaveze

Abstract

Predmet rada je razjašnjenje pojma i pravnih posledica otežanog ispunjenja ugovorne obaveze. Pod otežanim ispunjenjem misli se na ispunjenje koje je usled promenjenih okolnosti za dužnika postalo teže nego što se moglo osnovano očekivati u času kada je pristao da duguje - ali nije postalo nemoguće. Obaveze ne prestaju kada njihovo ispunjenje postane vanredno otežano. Međutim, otežano ispunjenje ugovorne obaveze može, pod određenim uslovima, da bude razlog za raskid ugovora. U modernim evropskim pravnim sistemima činjenica otežanog ispunjenja može da bude jedan od elemenata za primenu pravila o raskidu ili reviziji ugovora zbog promenjenih okolnosti. U radu se najpre izlaže o tome na koje sve načine nemogućnost ispunjenja i otežano ispunjenje mogu da utiču na ugovornu obavezu i ugovor kao celinu. Drugi deo rada posvećen je uslovima za pozivanje na promenjene okolnosti u srpskom i uporednom pravu, te razgraničenju otežanog ispunjenja od različitih vidova nemogućnosti, kao što su nemogućnost da se ostvari svrha ugovora i objektivna, subjektivna, praktička i ekonomska nemogućnost ispunjenja ugovorne obaveze. Otežano ispunjenje se najlakše razlikuje od kruto shvaćene objektivne nemogućnosti ispunjenja, a najteže od takozvane praktičke nemogućnosti ispunjenja. Ispunjenje obaveze je praktički nemoguće ako bi zahtev da dužnik postupi onako kako je isprva ugovoreno bio protivan razumu, načelu savesnosti i poštenja ili shvatanjima poštenog prometa.

This paper purports to clarify the notion and the legal consequences of the subsequent difficulties in performance of a bilateral contract, which occur due to an unforeseeable change in circumstances under which the contract was concluded. A part of the paper deals with the conditions for invoking the change in circumstances pursuant to Serbian and comparative contract law. In addition, the paper attempts to distinguish subsequent difficulties in performance from the different types of impossibility, such as impossibility to fulfil the purpose of transaction, objective impossibility of performance, subjective impossibility of performance, practical impossibility, and economic impossibility. The difficulties in performance occur after conclusion of the contract and are assessed in relation to what the promisor knew, or was obliged to know at the time of conclusion. If a contract becomes excessively difficult to perform, but not impossible, the promisor would not be discharged on that account, but may be able to seek termination, or judicial adjustment of the contract. In contrast, the subsequent impossibility of performance may lead to contract termination, but cannot be the grounds for judicial adjustment of the contractual content. The subsequent difficulty in performance of a contract is not easily distinguished from the so-called practical impossibility. The performance is deemed to be practically impossible if it would be contrary to reason, good faith, or the principles of fair trade to require the debtor to perform as initially agreed.