The harmonization measures prescribed by this Directive shall apply to the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States governing the relations between commercial agents and their principals.

For the purposes of this Directive, ‘commercial agent’ shall mean a self-employed intermediary who has continuing authority to negotiate the sale or the purchase of goods on behalf of another person, hereinafter called the ‘principal’, or to negotiate and conclude such transactions on behalf of and in the name of that principal.

A commercial agent shall be understood within the meaning of this Directive as not including in particular:

• a person who, in his capacity as an officer, is empowered to enter into commitments binding on a company or association,

• a partner who is lawfully authorized to enter into commitments binding on his partners,

• a receiver, a receiver and manager, a liquidator or a trustee in bankruptcy.

This Directive shall not apply to:

• commercial agents whose activities are unpaid,

• commercial agents when they operate on commodity exchanges or in the commodity market, or

• the body known as the Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations, as set up under the Crown Agents Act 1979 in the United Kingdom, or its subsidiaries.

Each of the Member States shall have the right to provide that the Directive shall not apply to those persons whose activities as commercial agents are considered secondary by the law of that Member State.