The Rome II Regulation on the Law Applicable to Non-Contractual Obligations introduces a single choice-of-law regime for tort and other non-contractual obligations. The Regulation has huge implications for international litigation relating to traffic accidents, product liability, environmental damage and infringement of intellectual property rights, for example. This book contains analysis of the Regulation by 15 experts from Europe and North America. It examines the core concepts and assesses the likely impact of the Regulation on claims for tort and unjust enrichment. It is an indispensable guide to the Regulation for legal practitioners, academics and students.

On 11 January 2009, Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (Rome II) became applicable in twenty six EU Member States. The Rome II Regulation provides conflict of law rules for tort and delict, unjust enrichment, negotiorum gestio and culpa in contrahendo. In particular, the Rome II Regulation sets out specific rules governing product liability, unfair competition and acts restricting free competition, environmental damage, infringement of intellectual property rights, and industrial action. This book is a comprehensive guide to the Rome II Regulation. It presents the rules designating the applicable law according to Rome II and explores the raisons d'�tres behind these rules. The book presents numerous case scenarios and explains what the applicable law should be under the Rome II Regulation. As such it is a comprehensive handbook providing the practitioner with explanations of how the regulation could and should be interpreted and applied.

The Rome I Regulation on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations has unified the conflict of laws rules of the Member States. The influence of the European Union upon Private International Law goes beyond positive harmonisation however. There is a certain tension between European law and PIL. European law is concerned with whether the imposition of a rule constitutes a restriction to the internal market whereas PIL does not seek to neutralise the disadvantages that result from differences between national laws but instead tries to locate the geographical centre of the legal relationship. The present book attempts to identify the methodological disharmony between the two legal disciplines in the regulation of cross border contracts and proposes suggestions to enhance their mutual understanding.

This study examines the principle party autonomy as provided for in the European Rome I Regulation and the Rome II Regulation. It critically reflects on the position of the freedom to choose the law in contract and tort in the common law jurisdictions of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore. It calls to reform the common law approach.

Will the new Rome I Regulation meet its goals - to improve the predictability of the outcome of litigation? - to bring certainty as to the law applicable and the free movement of judgments? - to designate the same national law irrespective of the country of the court in which an action is brought? The most important features of this instrument were outlined and discussed by distinguished legal experts from all over Europe and beyond at the conference "The Rome I Regulation", held in Verona on March 2009. This first book in English on the Rome I Regulation contains the papers submitted to that conference.

This updating supplement brings the Main Work up to date and incorporates substantive developments since publication of the book. It is an essential purchase for all who already own the Main Work, and maintains its currency.