Maastricht European Private Law Institute
The Maastricht European Private Law Institute (M-EPLI) conducts fundamental research in the field of European private law, covering not only the law of contract, property and tort, but also European procedural law, European legal theory and European legal history. Special focus is on exploring the consequences of Europeanisation and globalisation in the field of private law.
Meet M-EPLI's Directors!
Research
M-EPLI conducts fundamental research in the field of European private law and related areas. Our belief is that in an age of Europeanisation and globalisation law should be studied as an international phenomenon. M-EPLI crosses borders between both national jurisdictions and the classical areas of law. A post-national legal science cannot take the distinction between public and private law as a starting point, but has to question the relevance of this distinction. Where useful, it also involves other disciplines (such as political science, economics and psychology).
M-EPLI’s research covers both the ‘integration’ and ‘interaction’ poles of the Faculty’s research programme. M-EPLI has three research lines 1. Convergence and divergence of private law, 2. Transnational legal method and 3.Changing conceptions of private law.
M-EPLI’s research takes place in the following streams:
1. Values
2. Institutions
3. Markets
News
Constitutional Property Protection and Regulatory Inertia: Towards an Aristotelian Understanding of Regulatory Excess
M-EPLI PhD Research Spotlight on Blessing Eze
Honorary Doctorate for Professor Marta Pertegás Sender
M-EPLI Co-Director Marta Pertegás Sender Awarded Honorary Doctorate
M-EPLI Blog
Property & Democracy
- Law
On 16 April 2025, M-EPLI hosted Professor Dr Bram Akkermans from Maastricht University’s Faculty of Law and Professor Dr Lorna Fox O’Mahony from the University of Essex, England, to discuss the evolving role of private property within liberal democratic systems. Their proposal centred on the idea that private property is not merely a legal construct but a crucial interface between the economic, social, and environmental constitutions. The discussion was moderated by both speakers together with Dr. Kate O’Reilly from Maastricht University.
Rethinking Vulnerability: How Consumer Law Forgets About Elders
- Law
On March 13, 2025, M-EPLI welcomed Professor Bianca Gardella Tedeschi from the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy to present her groundbreaking research on recognising elders as vulnerable consumers in EU consumer law. The presentation, moderated by Dr. Daniel On, sparked a vibrant discussion led by Carolina Lisboa about the complex intersection of aging, autonomy, and consumer protection.
Comparative Insights on the Role of Values in Contract Law
- Law
M-EPLI welcomed Dr. Timothy Dodsworth on 19 February as a speaker in the M-EPLI Talks series. Dr. Dodsworth’s talk entitled, The Underlying Values of German and English Contract Law, focused on looking at German and English court decisions to extract insights into how legal systems balance competing values in contract law.
Clarifying the Legal Status of Online Logistics Platforms in Europe
- Law
Our recent study (with Prof. Wouter Verheyen University of Antwerp) explores the legal uncertainties associated with the rise of online logistics platforms, which optimise the flow of goods through digital procurement mechanisms but lack a clear regulatory framework akin to international transport conventions. By investigating the legal classification of these platforms and examining their intermediary role and liability across different legal systems, the study offers new insights into contract creation in a digitalised logistics context.
Breaking Legal Boundaries: How Private International Law Can Keep Up With Global Value Chains
- Law
On Wednesday 29th January, M-EPLI welcomed Prof. dr. Toshiyuki Kono, Professor at the Graduate School of Law at Kyushu University, Japan. The event was moderated by Dr. Daniel On, followed by an insightful commentary by Prof. dr. Marta Pertegas and discussion with the participants.
