Dear sir, madam,

There exists a tension if not direct conflict between uniform EU law and conventions of uniform private law to which EU member states are party, but the EU itself is not. As is illustrated by a number of cases by the ECJ in recent years, courts in member states are increasingly confronted with conflicts of duty in cases where uniform EU law and conventions of uniform maritime and transport law are of simultaneous application.

For courts and member states it may sometimes appear as if the only way in which to comply with EU law is by breaking their countries obligations under international treaties and vice-versa.

The Rotterdam Institute for Shipping & Transport Law and the Erasmus School of Law organize* the Conference:

‘Tension between universal and regional unification of private law, Conflict between EU law and the maritime & transport law conventions’, Rotterdam, 16 and 17 February 2012.

More information on the program, speakers and registration can be found on
www.erasmusacademie.nl/tension.

We welcome you to join us and participate in the debate!
Kind regards,

Frank Smeele & Marian Hoeks
Rotterdam Institute for Shipping & Transport Law
www.RISTL.nl
Erasmus University Rotterdam

* [The conference is organized in collaboration with Erasmus Smart Port Rotterdam, the Dutch Legal Network for Shipping and Transport, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Zee- en Vervoerrecht (NVZV), Vereniging Publiek Vervoerrecht, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht (NVIR), Centre for the Law of EU External Relations (CLEER), Centre for European Private International Law (CEPIL), T.M.C. Asser Instituut]