A book series dedicated to the harmonisation and unification of family and succession law in Europe. The European Family Law series includes comparative legal studies and materials as well as studies on the effects of international and European Law making within the national legal systems in Europe. The books are published in English, French or German under the auspices of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law (CEFL). Three years after its establishment the CEFL presents its first Principles of European Family Law in the field of divorce and maintenance between former spouses. The Principles aim to bestow the most suitable means for the harmonisation of family laws in Europe. In this respect they may serve as a frame of reference for national, European and international legislatures alike. The Principles could considerably facilitate their task not only by virtue of the fact that the CEFL's in-depth and comprehensive comparative research is easily accessible but also because most of the rules have been drafted in a way which Legislatures normally consider to be appropriate. Book jacket.

Traditionally, conflict of law rules designate only national substantive law as the applicable law. Many unifying and harmonizing substantive law instruments of both States and non-State organizations, however, are designed specifically for application to cross-border relationships. Achieving this objective is, generally, hindered by conflict of law rules. The requirements which non-national law needs to fulfil in order to be accepted as the law governing a cross-border relationship deserve clarification. Not only uniform law, such as the CISG and the envisaged European substantive law instrument for the law of obligations, but, particularly, instruments which are aimed at harmonizing substantive law, challenge the established systems of conflict of laws. In seeking a positive approach towards the application of a law other than national law various aspects need to be considered: (1) is the decision taken by a court or an arbitral tribunal; (2) what field of law (contract/delict/tort or family relationships) is involved; and (3) the objective or subjective (choice by the parties) designation of the applicable law.

Published ... under the auspices of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law (CEFL).

The Brussels II bis Regulation which contains uniform rules for jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility became effective as of 1st March 2005 for 24 Member States of the European Union. This book addresses the impact and application of the new rules in the form of national reports. The authors provide answers to questions such as: What is the impact of the Regulation on national private international law on the one side, and on substantive law, on the other? Does the Regulation mean that changes have to be made in the national systems? Are there any difficulties as regards the consistency of the private international law system? In how far does the Regulation match the substantive law both as regards divorce and parental responsibility? Are there any difficulties as regards the implementation of the Regulation in the national systems? Have any implementing measures been taken? A comparative synthesis of the impact and application of the Brussels II bis Regulation within the European Union and a general introduction into the Europeanisation of private international law in family matters complement the book. As a result it contains the latest update of international family law in Europe.

The Principles of European Family Law - drafted by the Commission on European Family Law (CEFL) - contain models which may be used for the harmonization of family law in Europe. This book contains the Principles regarding property relations between spouses. In these Principles, the CEFL has developed an all-inclusive set of rules for two matrimonial property regimes: the participation in acquisitions and the community of acquisitions. Both regimes have been put on an equal footing. Each matrimonial property regime, whether it functions as a default or as an optional regime, is strongly connected with the rights and duties of the spouses and the possibility for them to make a marital property agreement. These issues have also been addressed by including two common chapters on the general rights and duties of spouses and on marital property agreements, which are to be applied regardless of which of the regimes applies. (Series: European Family Law - Vol. 33)

This text provides coverage of the private international aspects of Internet-related law. It addresses the questions of which court has jurisdiction and which law is to be applied when litigation arises from activity on the Internet.

This book explores convergences of legal doctrine despite jurisdictional, cultural and political barriers, as well as divergences due to such barriers, examining topics that are of vital importance to contemporary legal scholars. Written by leading experts from all continents, its 26 chapters present a comparative analysis of cutting-edge legal issues of the 21st century. While each of the countries covered stands alone as a sovereign state, in a technologically advanced world their disparate systems nonetheless show comparable strategies in dealing with complex legal issues. Several of the chapters show how, in addition to state normative production and state adjudication, a growing panoply of non-state instruments and non-state adjudication are becoming more and more central to the legal field. This book is a key addition to the library of any scholar wanting to keep abreast of the major trends in contemporary law. Representing the current state of law in a vast range of areas, it covers each topic from a comparative perspective. Cet ouvrage, en examinant des sujets d'une importance vitale pour les juristes contemporains, traite des convergences de la doctrine juridique malgré les barrières juridictionnelles, culturelles et politiques ainsi que des divergences dues à ces barrières. Écrits par d'éminents universitaires de tous les continents, ses 26 chapitres présentent une analyse comparative de sujets juridiques majeurs du 21e siècle. Dans un monde technologiquement avancé, bien que chaque pays analysé dans cet ouvrage demeure autonome en tant qu'État souverain, l'ensemble des systèmes disparates présente néanmoins des stratégies comparables pour traiter des questions juridiques complexes. En outre, plusieurs chapitres montrent comment, en plus de la production normative et de la résolution des différends étatiques, la panoplie croissante de différents types d'instruments non étatiques et de résolution non étatique des différends devient de plus en plus centrale dans la sphère juridique. Cet ouvrage est un ajout essentiel à la bibliothèque de tout universitaire souhaitant se tenir au courant des principales tendances du droit contemporain. Il couvre un vaste domaine de sujets traités d'un point de vue comparatif et représente l'état actuel du droit dans chaque domaine.

The CEFL has developed a comprehensive and original set of rules which may be a source of inspiration for legislating the rights and duties of couples who have not formalised their relationship. In their provisions on specific issues, the Principles opt for workable solutions which aim to avoid unnecessary hardship and disputes.

The present collection of articles is the 13th in the Molengrafica Series under the aegis of the Molengraaff Institute for Private Law, a series which has been issued since 1988. In the Series some of the results emanating from research carried out in the fields of international commercial contracts and intellectual property law are published. This research was carried out during the last decade by researchers belonging both to the faculty of the Institute and working incidentally or regularly in cooperation with the Institute. In each issue of the Series the approach is comparative with special attention being paid to legal develop-ments in Europe. The present collection of articles is devoted to various aspects of substantive contract law which present themselves in the course of entering into a contract. Such aspects are the questions as to what law should apply to the formation and the content of such contracts, whether harmonisation in whatever form is appropriate and feasible in this respect, and if not, what role private international law should play here, and finally whether or not a distinction should be made in this context between personal contracts and commercial contracts. This was the theme of the conference organized by the Institute's Center for Intellectual Property Law (CIER) in November 2001. Most of the papers which were contributed to that conference are presented in this issue. This issue clarifies why the law comes into play with regard to the indicated theme. Indeed, it is a commonly shared belief all over the world that creation and innovation require legal protection in order to flourish, and thus both on a national and an international level. With regard to the conference theme, the issue had to be addressed whether legal protection under an intellectual property law regime would provide adequate legal recognition and respect to individuals and communities whose acts and products are difficult to reconcile with todays dominant Western legal concepts. In particular it was questioned whether traditional intellectual property law, either in an unaltered or in an adapted way, had a role to play here. It appeared that the first thing to do in that respect is to acknowledge that intellectual property law is not only about conferring property rights and allowing them to become weapons in the competition between entrepreneurs. This is because intellectual property law also has the function of fostering and furthering cultural and economic life in a broad perspective on behalf of society at large.