The European Union (EU) is committed to achieve the goal of creating a network of instruments that will comprehensively cover almost all the aspects of Private International Law. This will significantly affect the freedom of national legislators to undertake their law-making tasks. However, these two proceedings should not be definitely contrary. As this book tries to demonstrate, the European harmonization is being developed from the feedback of the national experiences.

This work is the outcome of the theoretical and practical research carried out by a group of legal experts from different specialities and jurisdictions. It includes several contributions in the fields of the recently adopted instruments of Private International Law (e.g., mediation in civil and commercial matters, maintenance obligations or conflict of law rules on divorce), some national experiences when applying these instruments (in particular in the new EU Member States) and also, the ongoing works in order to review some current instruments (Brussels I) or to approve new ones (e.g., successions or matrimonial property regimes).

In conclusion, this book intends to offer an updated and critical contribution to the huge common task of elaboration of a European Private International Law adopted by the EU institutions.