European contract law is not only a key aspect of European private law but also plays a highly important role in the development of contract law at national level. However, European contract law is often an unfamiliar subject as its content, methods and objectives are overshadowed by national laws.

This book therefore provides fundamental information about the content, methods and objectives of European legislation in the field of contract law and explains the interaction between the legislator, judges and academics during the creation of European contract law. It attempts to show how a system arises from the dialogue between the different sources. It therefore focusses not only on current EU legislation but also the extensive preparatory works in which the authors of this book were actively involved.