What does Dr Symeonides mean when he characterises Rome II as a missed opportunity Essay Example
What does Dr Symeonides mean when he characterises Rome II as a missed opportunity Essay Example

What does Dr Symeonides mean when he characterises Rome II as a missed opportunity Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (521 words)
  • Published: December 2, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Symeonides examines the Rome II Regulation[2] and contends that it is a "lost chance". He believes that if the EU legislator had incorporated all the suggestions from GEDIP[3] and the rapporteur during the creation and organization of the Rome II, it could be a more effective document. Symeonides states that a more adaptable structure for the Rome II would be beneficial.

Symeonides contends that the EU legislator did not utilize the opportunity to devise a contemporary and refined piece of legislation.[4] In his analysis, Symeonides discusses the origins and chronicles of the Rome II, and characterizes its initial proposal as "graceful, sophisticated, and versatile." An official draft of the Rome II was subsequently made available for public feedback in 2002. The revised document received input, largely from businesses and industry associations who favored the most conse

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rvative aspects of the proposal.

The EU Parliament attempted to make the draft version of the Rome I document more flexible but most proposed changes were rejected in the three Parliamentary readings. According to Symeonides, the final text of the Rome I includes strict rules with limited exceptions and little flexibility and judicial discretion. The Rome II covers non-commercial conflicts of laws within and outside of the EU and has a binding legal nature that applies to all Member States[5].

The introduction of this document is a major step towards unifying EU law and the laws of Member States related to Private International law. Despite lacking flexibility, I believe that the Rome II has more positive than negative aspects. The Rome II restricts the discretionary power of national courts, which leads to a more efficient and unified judicial system. Its aim is to

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reduce interpretation and increase stability and consistency in the judicial system, with uniform decisions leaving little room for forum shopping by removing a focus on the forum's location. The Rome II protects parties' interests and provides legal support, visible in article 14 which allows parties the freedom of choice in contract applicability to legal disputes.

The Rome II lays down two conditions that parties have to comply with when choosing their own law: the choice must be expressed with reasonable certainty and not prejudice third-party rights, and it must not affect the mandatory provisions of the country where the damage occurred if the parties have chosen another country's law. Many of the legal rules in the Rome II were based on previous rulings from the European Court of Justice, such as Article 6, which is similar to the rule in the Shevill defamation case. This rule was further approved in the eDate and Martinez case.

In my opinion, it would be more advantageous to emphasize the benefits of introducing the new document rather than lamenting missed opportunities. The ECJ has determined that the country where harm occurred determines the applicable law in a case; however, if harm occurs in multiple countries, the plaintiff may select either the defendant's domicile or any country where damage occurred. The Rome II aligns with both Brussels I and Rome I Regulations and strives to harmonize EU Private International law regarding jurisdiction, recognition, and enforceability of judicial decisions.

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