Internationales Sachenrecht in der Europäischen Union

In the European Union, the rules of international property law have not yet been harmonized, which is why the Member States continue to rely on their respective national regulations of private international law. Nina Fischer describes the difficulties this situation poses for the single market and the common legal area. She argues that the harmonization of international property law by the European Union is a necessary part of the solution. After providing an overview of the legal prerequisites for such harmonization and the approaches that already exist, a comparative analysis of the Member States' codifications of international property law serves to identify the key issues that any harmonization effort must address. This is followed by a concise discussion of the methods to be applied and the objectives pursued in the process of harmonization. The core of the study consists of comparative examinations of the Member States' codifications and other selected legal texts, as well as the ensuing discussions of possible solutions to the individual issues in light of the objectives previously outlined. Finally, the proposed regulation is presented in German, English, and French versions. The fundamental connecting factor remains the situs (the place where the property is situated). This connecting factor is supplemented by a few narrowly defined exceptions. Within clearly delineated limits, party autonomy is permitted. A central feature of the proposal is a detailed regulation of the change of applicable law ( statute change ).