Commercial Maritime Law

The title EU Commercial Maritime Law is a misnomer. There is a patchwork of different commercial maritime laws not just in the EU but around the world. However, the title is a true reflection of what many European scholars and practitioners in the field have long desired: a common framework of commercial maritime law within the EU.

Over the last 100 years, the world has seen dozens of conventions and soft law instruments drafted under the auspices of international organisations aiming to achieve harmonisation, as far as possible, in the area of commercial maritime law. Some of these conventions have not stayed the course, while others have received wide acceptance within the EU and worldwide. This book unravels the complexities of bridging the gaps between common law and civil law in commercial maritime law and discusses whether "EU Commercial Maritime Law" will remain as a misnomer despite the countless attempts at harmonisation.

The book brings together internationally renowned scholars to discuss the areas in which the common law and civil law are divided; the impact of these differences on the drafting and ratification of international conventions; the search for a common framework and the procedural aspects of the common law and civil law divide in commercial maritime law.