Smart regulation and European private law - What linkages?

Private law in Europe has undergone a significant transformation during the last two decades. From a branch of law that was scarcely affected by EU legislation, it has become the object of considerable harmonisation measures to facilitate free trade and protect European citizens. Simultaneously, there has been an increased attention for ?better regulation? in the EU. The efforts of the European Commission to improve regulatory quality and to reduce administrative burdens for industry have promoted a regulatory environment in which formal intervention is more limited and self?regulation and co?regulation have emerged as alternatives. The University of Maastricht organized a workshop on ?Smart Regulation of European Private Law? in January 2013 with the aim to assess how the Smart Regulation agenda has shaped/can shape European private law; investigate the contribution of different methodological approaches to achieve ?smart regulation?; and explore opportunities and threats for European private law, in particular in respect with developments in self?regulation and co?regulation. This report shortly summarises the discussions.