Crossborder Disputes
Provisions of private international law (PIL) are also relevant to cross border transactions and disputes. The Department for Constitutional Affairs leads on PIL issues in Whitehall.
The 1968 Brussels Convention, which deals with jurisdiction in cross border civil and commercial disputes, was replaced by a Community Regulation in December 2000;
The 1980 Rome Convention deals with which country’s law applies in contractual disputes. On 14 January 2003 the European Commission presented a Green Paper on the question of whether the Convention should be converted into a Community Instrument (a Regulation or Directive). A proposal is expected in the first half of 2005;
On 22 July 2003, the European Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation on the law applicable to non-contractual Situations, known as Rome II (see "related Documnets" link). The proposed Regulation would affect the treatment of claims involving defamation, advertising, intellectual property rights, and product liability.
For information on consumer rights and assistance in resolving cross-border disputes in the EU, consumers in the UK can contact the UK European Consumer Centre through their website or on 08456 04 05 03.