Choice of Law by the Parties in Rome II: Rationale of the Differentiation between Consumer and Commercial Contracts

The article explores Article 14 on choice of law by the parties in Rome II and the possibilities for party autonomy. There is a limit to party autonomy where both parties are not ‘pursuing commercial activities’, which is meant to protect weaker parties. This protection is not identical to the protection from party autonomy afforded weaker parties by the Brussels I and Rome I Regulations, and the author questions whether the differences are the result of careful thought. What is more, the protection given in Article 14 could be removed through ‘the back door’ via the reference to a contract concluded between the parties in Article 4(3) and other provisions of the Rome II Regulation