In numerous fields of law, ranging from family law to company law, private actors increasingly set their own rules, revert to private enforcement of those rules and choose the applicable law. Within each field this tendency has already been scrutinised. Until now, however, few attempts have been made to look at these phenomena together with a view to arriving at conclusions that go beyond one specific field. This book is a first attempt to fill this gap. It is relevant for scholars and practitioners working in the individual fields of law covered (private international law, company law,...

This timely book examines the field of European and global standardisation, showing how standards give rise to a multitude of different legal questions. Each chapter offers in-depth analysis of a number of key policy areas such as food safety, accounting, telecommunications and medical devices. These multi-disciplinary contributions go beyond the field of law, and provide cross-disciplinary comparisons. Demonstrating how standards enter the European legal system in a variety of ways, the book studies their relevance for public and private law alike. While the trade advantages of using...