Paolo Bertoli (University of Insubria) has published two interesting articles (in English) on the role of party autonomy in the Rome II regulation. Here are the references:

Choice of Law by the Parties in the Rome II Regulation, in Rivista di diritto internazionale, 2009, pp. 697-716.

Party Autonomy and Choice-Of-Law Methods in the “Rome II” Regulation on the Law Applicable to Non-Contractual Obligations, in Il Diritto dell’Unione europea, 2009, pp. 229-264.

An abstract has been kindly provided by the author:

The articles discuss, also in comparison with American private international law theories and methods, the innovative provisions relating to party autonomy set forth in the EC “Rome II” regulation on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations, the choice-of-law methods that such provisions follow, and their role and significance in the framework of the European “federalized” private international law system. In particular, the articles demonstrate that a distinction can, and should, be made between cases in which party autonomy operates in the context, and demonstrates the existence in Rome II, of: (i) a traditional (or, in American terminology, “jurisdiction-selecting”) choice-of-law method, (ii) a “content-oriented” choice-of-law method, and (iii) a European lex fori approach.

With reference to the development of EC private international law, see also the author’s thorough analysis of the role of the European Court of Justice, in his volume “Corte di giustizia, integrazione comunitaria e diritto internazionale privato e processuale” (Giuffrè, 2005) and “The Court of Justice, European Integration and Private International Law” (in Yearbook of Private International law, vol. VIII-2006, pp. 375-412: the article can be browsed through the Libreka! website).