Setting Sail with the Rome I Regulation, Article 5 and Cross-Border Contracts of Carriage

Abstract

The present research paper offers an all-encompassing examination of Article 5 of the Rome I Regulation, a pivotal component of the European Union’s private international law. The article centres its attention on the influence of Article 5 on contracts of carriage, a crucial element of global commerce. The objective of the research is to offer a comprehensive comprehension of the legislative framework and fundamental attributes of the Rome I Regulation. The regulation’s primary objective is to facilitate predictability and legal assurance in cross-border transactions. This article critically examines the complexities of Article 5, encompassing its extent, conditions, and exceptions, and further explores its importance for international transportation agreements. This study analyses the function of Article 5 in ascertaining the applicable law in instances of conflicts between parties from diverse legal systems, with specific emphasis on multimodal transportation and the notion of “the place of delivery”. The present article assesses the influence of the legal rulings of the European Court of Justice on the construal and implementation of Article 5. The research presented here delineates several pragmatic impediments and limitations that emerge during the execution of Article 5, encompassing possible contradictions with other international accords, complexities in ascertaining the site of delivery, and the impact of obligatory legal statutes. Notwithstanding the aforementioned challenges, the study concludes that Article 5 has been instrumental in fostering legal certainty, facilitating the performance of international carriage contracts, and propelling worldwide trade. The present study’s outcomes augment the extant corpus of literature on the Rome I Regulation and furnish significant perspectives for policymakers, legal professionals, and academicians. The article emphasises the necessity for additional examination and evaluation of the obstacles and possibilities posed by Article 5 within the framework of global commerce and transportation agreements.