Public Review: New UN Economic Committee for Europe White Paper on Digital Product Passports & Critical Raw Materials for Batteries: Legal Conflicts and Principles for Cross-Border Cooperation

Legal fragmentation slows down the scaling up of the Critical Raw Materials-battery value chains to meet the demands of the green transition. Digital Product Passports (DPPs) should serve as an effective digital traceability tool for business compliance, rather than creating a green barrier.

UNECE and UN/CEFACT are proud to release our White Paper for public review, offering a deep dive into:

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Call for Applications: Junior Professorship in Private Law and Private International Law at Humboldt University of Berlin

The Faculty of Law at Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany) invites applications for a Junior Professorship (W1 Tenure Track to W2) in Private Law and Private International Law, to be filled as of 1 October 2026.

Candidates are expected to conduct research and teaching in Private Law and Private International Law broadly understood (including in particular International Family and Succession Law, International Civil Procedure, International Dispute Resolution, International Commercial Arbitration).

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Singapore Money Order Recognized and Enforced in China

The following post is reproduced from a recent update by the Asian Business Law Institute (ABLI). 
Many thanks to Catherine Shen for sharing the information.

 

In a judgment (2023) Hu 01 Xie Wai Ren No. 28 dated January 8, 2025, the Shanghai International Commercial Court (Shanghai Court) recognized and enforced an order given by the General Division of the Singapore High Court after finding reciprocity between China and Singapore in the recognition and enforcement of each other’s civil and commercial judgments. Read more

The Conflicts Vineyard: In the Footsteps of Symeonides

It is a real pleasure to share a new essay by Professor Symeon C. Symeonides, written on the occasion of his retirement after fifty remarkable years in the field of conflict of laws. The essay, eloquently titled Reflections from Fifty Years in the Conflicts Vineyard, was presented as part of a symposium held in his honor in May 2024 at Willamette University College of Law, and sponsored by the AALS Section on Conflict of Laws. Read more

CoL.net Virtual Roundtable on the Commission’s Brussels Ia Report

In light of the Commission’s report on the Brussels Ia Regulation (first discussed here by Xandra Kramer), ConflictofLaws.net will be hosting an ad-hoc virtual roundtable

on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, 12pm–1.30pm (CEST).

The conversation will focus on the report published by the Commission on 2 June and its implications for a possible future reform of the Regulation.

The event will feature the following panellists:

Andrew Dickinson
University of Oxford

Stefano Dominelli
University of Genoa

Pietro Franzina
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan

Thalia Kruger
University of Antwerp

Tobias Lutzi
University of Augsburg

Everyone interested is warmly invited to join via this Zoom link.

Bridging Legal Systems: A Comparative-Empirical Study on the European Account Preservation Order by Dr. Carlos Santaló Goris

Warmest congratulations to Dr. Carlos Santaló Goris on the publication of his book, The Application of the European Account Preservation Order in Germany, Luxembourg and Spain. A Comparative-Empirical Analysis (Nomos, 2025).

This scholarly work offers a timely and much-needed exploration of the European Account Preservation Order (EAPO), the first cross-border civil interim measure at EU level. Conceived to enable the provisional attachment of debtors’ bank accounts across Member States, the EAPO aspires to procedural uniformity. Yet, as this study so lucidly demonstrates, its application remains deeply embedded in national procedural systems, giving rise to significant divergences and legal complexity.

With admirable clarity, analytical depth, and empirical rigour, Dr. Santaló Goris leads the reader through this intricate legal terrain. By examining, in particular, the operation of the EAPO in three distinct jurisdictions – Germany, Luxembourg, and Spain – his manuscript illustrates the practical challenges posed by procedural fragmentation while offering valuable guidance for navigating the instrument across legal systems.

This manuscript stands out as a thoughtful and impactful contribution to the field of European civil procedure. What distinguishes it most is its remarkable ability to bridge legal theory and judicial practice. Through a combination of comparative analysis, stakeholder perspectives, and data-driven insights, it offers a comprehensive and balanced account of how the European Account Preservation Order operates in practice, making it an indispensable resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

Congratulations, Carlos, on this well-deserved accomplishment!

More information on this book is available here.

Webinar on the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention, 30 June & 1 July

The Centre for Private International Law & Transnational Governance of the University of Aberdeen is organising a webinar on Cross-Border Protection of Children under the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention: Practical Perspectives from Contracting States.
The event will be held on 30 June & 1 July and is part of a research project led by Professor Katarina Trimmings, which evaluates the effectiveness of the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention in the UK and other Contracting States.
This research project examines the legal framework for the cross-border protection of children, focusing on the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (‘the 1996 Hague Convention’).

The International Committee of the Singapore International Commercial Court: A Transnational Appeal Mechanism  

Written by Yip Man (Professor of Law, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University)

To bolster Singapore’s position as an international dispute resolution hub, the Singapore International Commercial Court (International Committee) Bill[1] was introduced in Parliament on 14 October 2024 to establish the International Committee of the Singapore International Commercial Court (the SICC), a standalone body, to hear prescribed civil appeals and related proceedings from prescribed foreign jurisdictions.[2] The Bill was passed by Parliament on 12 November 2024. The Singapore International Commercial Court (International Committee) Act 2024 (the “International Committee Act”) is uncommenced.[3] Read more

Conference: “The Next 25 Years of Private International Law: What Does the World Need?”, 23 June 2025 in Groningen

The Ulrik Huber Institute for Private International Law is delighted to announce a special one-day conference entitled:

The Next 25 Years of Private International Law: What Does the World Need?

This conference marks a significant occasion: the celebration of Professor Mathijs ten Wolde’s 25-year tenure as a professor and director of the Ulrik Huber Institute. In honour of his contribution to the field and his mentorship of generations of legal scholars, the event will bring together former PhD students and distinguished colleagues from across the globe to reflect on the future direction of private international law.

Key Themes Include:

  • The role of private international law in a changing world;
  • Evolving cross-border legal frameworks (e.g. EU Regulations and HccH Conventions);
  • Regional vs. global harmonisation efforts;
  • The impact of digitalisation;
  • New frontiers in family, commercial, IP, transport and procedural law.

We warmly invite all scholars, practitioners and students with an interest in private international law to join us for this day of dialogue and celebration. More information, including the conference programme, is available via the following link: https://www.rug.nl/rechten/agenda/2025/the-next-25-years

New Book and Seminar Heroes of the Judicial Periphery

Last month the book The Heroes of the Judicial Periphery: Court Experts, Court Clerks, and Other Actors in the Shadows, edited by Alan Uzelac and Stefaan Voet (Hart/Bloomsbury Publising, 2025) was published. The book highlights the role of perhaps less prominent, but nevertheless important actors in (international) judicial procedures from a national, comparative and/or international perspective.

The European Civil Justice Centre (Erasmus School of Law) hosts a seminar in collaboration with the editors to launch the book on 4th July 2025 from 10-12 CEST.

Discussions on civil justice mostly focus on procedural rules, and the role of courts, parties and lawyers. This book addresses other actors that are often overlooked in academic and policy debates. It assesses the role of court experts, court clerks and court staff, and other actors on the ‘judicial periphery’ who play an important role and often co-determine the pace, outcome, and tone of the judicial process.

The knowledge and skills of experts may be indispensable at times, but it is among the most expensive, complicated and time-consuming means of evidence. The judges adjudicate, but where experts are involved in the process, they have a decisive impact on the outcome of litigation. Therefore, a principal focus of the book is on experts and how they are appointed, managed, and remunerated across Europe and the world.

The editors will discuss topical issues highlighting these ‘actors in the shadows’ and key experts will present their ideas based on the key findings of the book chapters, followed by discussion.

Registration for free here (hosted through Eventbrite)

Speakers & program:

10.00 Opening and welcome: Xandra Kramer

10.05 Alan Uzelac & Stefaan Voet – Heroes of the Judicial Periphery

10.15 Juraj Brozovic – The Case of Judicial Advisors in Croatia

10.30 Camilla Bernt – Expert Evidence in Custody Disputes and Child Protection Cases

10.50 Discussion

11.05 Michael Stürner – Experts on Foreign Law in German Civil Procedure

11.30 Adriani Dori & Xandra Kramer – The Role of Third-Party Funders in the Shadow of the Procedure

11.45 Discussion