Integración europea y Derecho internacional privado

La unificación de las normas de DIPr constituye un valioso mecanismo de integración en el seno de la Comunidad Europea, cuyo potencial resulta reforzado habida cuenta de las limitaciones de la comunitarización de las normas de Derecho privado material. ---- The reassessment of the role assigned to private international law in the context of European integration is linked to the limitations which private law unification has in the EC. The degree of legal certainty of private transactions that is required to guarantee the good functioning of an integrated area can be achieved by the establishment of uniform choice-of-law rules, with no need of substantive law unification. Such an approach is fully consistent with the basic principles of the Community -arts. 3.h) and 3(B) EC Treaty-. Moreover it safeguards the cultural identity of the Member States and ensures the benefits of competition between legal orders. Notwithstanding the deficiencies of choice-of-law rules as instruments of legal integration, the similarities between the legal orders considered reduce in the Community the shortcomings traditionally linked to the international unification of choice-of -law rules. Although the rules contained in international conventions continue to be very significant, the criteria established in some directives to fix the applicability of its rules to private international relationships deserve special attention. Moreover, Spanish practice shows the uncertainty risks which are linked to the use of directives as a means to harmonize rules of private international law. In this field the trend in the Community must lead to unification (not just harmonization). Otherwise the achievement of the degree of legal certainty required will be at risk. Far reaching consequences on the contents and functioning of the systems of private international law of the Member States derive from the non-discrimination principle and especially from the Community freedoms