Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Beställarens ändringsbefogenhet och lojalitetsplikten i entreprenadavtal

Sachs, Gry LU (2022) JURM02 20222
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Entreprenadavtal är förknippat med ett antal särdrag och betraktas vanligen som en avtalstyp. Det finns ingen direkt tillämplig lagstiftning som reglerar parternas rättigheter och skyldigheter i kommersiella entreprenadavtal. Denna avtalstyp regleras istället i stor omfattning av entreprenadbranschens standardavtal. Det förhärskande standardavtalet på området är AB 04. Utmärkande för entreprenadavtal är bl.a. dess principiella öppenhet för förändringar. Beställarens ändringsbefogenhet är ett tydligt exempel på detta. Beställaren ges i AB 04 en omfattande befogenhet att förändra entreprenörens åtagande löpande under avtalets löptid genom att föreskriva om ÄTA-arbeten. Med ÄTA-arbeten avses i AB 04 ändringsarbeten, tilläggsarbeten samt... (More)
Entreprenadavtal är förknippat med ett antal särdrag och betraktas vanligen som en avtalstyp. Det finns ingen direkt tillämplig lagstiftning som reglerar parternas rättigheter och skyldigheter i kommersiella entreprenadavtal. Denna avtalstyp regleras istället i stor omfattning av entreprenadbranschens standardavtal. Det förhärskande standardavtalet på området är AB 04. Utmärkande för entreprenadavtal är bl.a. dess principiella öppenhet för förändringar. Beställarens ändringsbefogenhet är ett tydligt exempel på detta. Beställaren ges i AB 04 en omfattande befogenhet att förändra entreprenörens åtagande löpande under avtalets löptid genom att föreskriva om ÄTA-arbeten. Med ÄTA-arbeten avses i AB 04 ändringsarbeten, tilläggsarbeten samt avgående arbeten. AB 04 innehåller relativt få uttryckliga begränsningar av beställarens ändringsbefogenhet. Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka och analysera omfattningen och innebörden av beställarens ändringsbefogenhet i AB 04. Undersökningen och analysen har gjorts med utgångspunkt i Högsta domstolens tolkningsmetod för entreprenadbranschens standardavtal.

Genom uttalanden i NJA 2018 s. 653 har HD öppnat för att beakta vad som gäller enligt de norska och danska standardavtalen vid tolkningen av svenska entreprenadavtal. HD hänvisade särskilt till den nordiska rättsgemenskapen på området. Mot bakgrund härav ligger det inom ramen för uppsatsens syfte att jämföra de norska och danska standardavtalen med AB 04. Bestämmelserna om beställarens ändringsbefogenhet i det norska NS 8405 och det danska AB har formulerats på ett likande sätt. Formuleringen i AB 04 är emellertid en helt annan. Till följd av detta är beställarens ändringsbefogenhet uttryckligen begränsad i betydligt fler avseenden i de norska och danska standardavtalen än i AB 04.

Det råder en allmän lojalitetsplikt mellan parterna i entreprenadavtal. I entreprenadsammanhang förknippas lojalitetsplikten vanligen med olika former av krav på informationsutbyte och kommunikation mellan parterna. Uppsatsen syftar till att särskilt undersöka lojalitetsplikten i förhållande till beställarens ändringsbefogenhet. I min mening skulle lojalitetsplikten kunna påverka beställarens handlingsutrymme genom att beställaren också måste ta hänsyn till entreprenören vid utövandet av ändringsbefogenheten.

I uppsatsen lyfts frågan om begränsningar av beställarens ändringsbefogenhet i AB 04. Det finns relativt få uttryckliga begränsningar. Ändringsbefogenheten är begränsad till entreprenadtiden och beställaren kan inte kräva att entreprenören utför arbete som strider mot författning. Beställaren begränsas också uttryckligen vad gäller tilläggsarbeten genom att tilläggsarbeten måste stå i omedelbart samband med kontraktsarbetena och inte vara av väsentligt annan natur än dessa. I uppsatsen diskuteras om beställarens ändringsbefogenhet tolknings- eller utfyllningsvis kan anses vara begränsad i fler avseenden. I min mening skulle det vara möjligt att argumentera för ytterligare begränsningar med hänvisning till lojalitetsplikten, den nordiska rättsgemenskapen på området och motivuttalanden. (Less)
Abstract
Construction contracts are associated with a number of special features. There is a general lack of directly applicable legal rules addressing the parties’ obligations in construction contracts. Instead, standard forms are predominantly used for commercial ventures in the construction industry. The most dominant standard form in Sweden is AB 04. Construction contracts is characterized by its general openness to change what was originally agreed upon. An illustrative example hereof is the employers’ extensive right to change the scope of the contractors’ commitment under the contract. In AB 04 this right consist of the employers’ right to request “ÄTA-arbete”. The concept of “ÄTA-arbete” stands for Alterations (Sw. Ändringsarbete),... (More)
Construction contracts are associated with a number of special features. There is a general lack of directly applicable legal rules addressing the parties’ obligations in construction contracts. Instead, standard forms are predominantly used for commercial ventures in the construction industry. The most dominant standard form in Sweden is AB 04. Construction contracts is characterized by its general openness to change what was originally agreed upon. An illustrative example hereof is the employers’ extensive right to change the scope of the contractors’ commitment under the contract. In AB 04 this right consist of the employers’ right to request “ÄTA-arbete”. The concept of “ÄTA-arbete” stands for Alterations (Sw. Ändringsarbete), Additions (Sw. Tilläggsarbete) and Work to be deducted (Sw. Avgående arbete). Consequently, the employer can alter the contracted work, add to it, and reduce it. The employers right to change the scope of the contractors’ commitment under the contract are not subject to many restrictions in AB 04. The purpose of the thesis is to examine and analyze the scope of the employers’ right to change according to AB 04. The method of interpretation that has been developed by the Supreme Court for standard forms used in the construction industry, forms the basis of which this thesis is based.

The Supreme Court decision NJA 2018 s. 653 has opened up for the possibility to consider the regulations in Nordic standard forms when interpreting Swedish standard forms used in the construction industry. The Supreme Court referred to the Nordic legal community. Consequently, a comparative study of the Nordic standard forms regarding the employers’ right to change, is within the scope of the thesis. The construction of the employers’ right to change in AB 04 seems a bit odd in comparison with the Norwegian standard form NS 8405 and the Danish standard form AB 18. Due to these differences the employers’ right to change are subject to far more restrictions in the Norwegian standard form and the Danish standard form.

There is a general duty of loyalty (lojalitetsplikt) in construction contracts. This duty of loyalty is usually associated with various forms of obligations to exchange information and communicate. The thesis aims to specifically examine the duty of loyalty in relation to the employers’ right to change. In my opinion, the duty of loyalty could affect the scope of the employers’ right to change in that the employer must also take the contractor into account when exercising the right to change.

In the thesis it is discussed how and in what way the employers’ right to change are restricted. There are relatively few explicit restrictions. The employers’ right to change is limited to the duration of the contract and the contractor can never be forced to perform work that is against the law. Furthermore the contractor is only obliged to perform additional work that is directly connected with and not essentially different in nature from the Contract Works (Sw. kontraktsarbetena). It is also discussed in the thesis whether the employers’ right to change can be subject to other restrictions than the explicit ones in AB 04. In my opinion, it would be possible to argue for further restrictions with reference to the duty of loyalty, the Nordic legal community and statements made by the creators of AB 04. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sachs, Gry LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
The employers' right to change and the duty of loyalty in construction contracts
course
JURM02 20222
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
förmögenhetsrätt, avtalsrätt, entreprenadrätt, entreprenadavtal, lojalitetsplikten
language
Swedish
id
9104768
date added to LUP
2023-01-24 09:08:30
date last changed
2023-01-24 09:08:30
@misc{9104768,
  abstract     = {{Construction contracts are associated with a number of special features. There is a general lack of directly applicable legal rules addressing the parties’ obligations in construction contracts. Instead, standard forms are predominantly used for commercial ventures in the construction industry. The most dominant standard form in Sweden is AB 04. Construction contracts is characterized by its general openness to change what was originally agreed upon. An illustrative example hereof is the employers’ extensive right to change the scope of the contractors’ commitment under the contract. In AB 04 this right consist of the employers’ right to request “ÄTA-arbete”. The concept of “ÄTA-arbete” stands for Alterations (Sw. Ändringsarbete), Additions (Sw. Tilläggsarbete) and Work to be deducted (Sw. Avgående arbete). Consequently, the employer can alter the contracted work, add to it, and reduce it. The employers right to change the scope of the contractors’ commitment under the contract are not subject to many restrictions in AB 04. The purpose of the thesis is to examine and analyze the scope of the employers’ right to change according to AB 04. The method of interpretation that has been developed by the Supreme Court for standard forms used in the construction industry, forms the basis of which this thesis is based.

The Supreme Court decision NJA 2018 s. 653 has opened up for the possibility to consider the regulations in Nordic standard forms when interpreting Swedish standard forms used in the construction industry. The Supreme Court referred to the Nordic legal community. Consequently, a comparative study of the Nordic standard forms regarding the employers’ right to change, is within the scope of the thesis. The construction of the employers’ right to change in AB 04 seems a bit odd in comparison with the Norwegian standard form NS 8405 and the Danish standard form AB 18. Due to these differences the employers’ right to change are subject to far more restrictions in the Norwegian standard form and the Danish standard form.
 
There is a general duty of loyalty (lojalitetsplikt) in construction contracts. This duty of loyalty is usually associated with various forms of obligations to exchange information and communicate. The thesis aims to specifically examine the duty of loyalty in relation to the employers’ right to change. In my opinion, the duty of loyalty could affect the scope of the employers’ right to change in that the employer must also take the contractor into account when exercising the right to change. 

In the thesis it is discussed how and in what way the employers’ right to change are restricted. There are relatively few explicit restrictions. The employers’ right to change is limited to the duration of the contract and the contractor can never be forced to perform work that is against the law. Furthermore the contractor is only obliged to perform additional work that is directly connected with and not essentially different in nature from the Contract Works (Sw. kontraktsarbetena). It is also discussed in the thesis whether the employers’ right to change can be subject to other restrictions than the explicit ones in AB 04. In my opinion, it would be possible to argue for further restrictions with reference to the duty of loyalty, the Nordic legal community and statements made by the creators of AB 04.}},
  author       = {{Sachs, Gry}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Beställarens ändringsbefogenhet och lojalitetsplikten i entreprenadavtal}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}