PhD student: Dr W. Bull

Promotor: Prof J.M. Smits

Duration: 1/6/2011 - 31/5/2015

PhD defence: Maastricht, 12/5/2016

Abstract:

This research project focuses on existing and proposed optional instruments in different fields of European law, including contract law, company law and intellectual property law (such as the proposed European contract code, the Societas Europaea and the EU trade mark respectively), with a view to investigating the benefits and disadvantages of creating optional private law at European level, and to what extent these differ depending on the particular optional instrument in question. Ultimately, it will seek to determine whether and in what ways such optional EU law provides a viable and desirable alternative to top-down harmonisation in the quest for greater uniformity in European private law.