Party autonomy and the law applicable to the matrimonial property regimes in Europe

Abstract

In a private international law context reflecting significant divergences between the ob­jective choice-of-law rules for matrimonial property regimes, the principle of party autonomy appears as a salutary solution, bringing certainty, predictability and simplicity, while satisfying also the spouses’ substantial interests. The study focuses on the rules devoted to this principle by the European legislator in the (EU) Regulation no 2016/1103, attempting to outline its regime and insisting, particularly, on its admissibility and on the limitations that accompany its practical exercise. Providing a sufficient fra­mework for discussion and helping to illustrate the implications of the European text, the rules of the Romanian Civil Code and of the 1978 Hague Convention on the law applicable to matrimonial property regimes will serve as a benchmark.