Details

During the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH ), the Dutch Government and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC ) will jointly host a conference in The Hague on 26 and 27 October 2004 on the legal issues raised by electronic commerce. The conference will focus on the areas of private law and private international law, but other areas such as international tax law will also be addressed. The conference aims at raising general awareness, including politi- cal awareness, of the vast range of legal questions raised by e-commerce, and providing a forum for dialogue between law makers and business. It will take stock of results achieved and assess whether the current legal framework reflects business realities and try to identify unresolved issues.

The conference will focus on the example of one particular on-line transaction, e.g. a purchase of goods or services. According to the "life-cycle" of this transaction, the e-commerce conference is divided into four half-days, which will each focus on a different phase:the pre-contractual phase, the conclusion of the contract, its performance and the post-contractual phase. The major questions in each phase will be presented by a moderator,after which several panellists will outline the results achieved or work in progress within their organisation, country or area of activities. Speakers will be representatives of intergovernmental organisations, governments, academia and the business world. The panel presentations will be followed by a discussion, involving both the panel and participants from the floor. Each session will be closed by the moderator summing up results achieved.

The conference will take place at the Academy Building on the grounds of the Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague. Conference languages will be English and French with simultaneous interpretation. A more detailed programme is posted on this website.

The conference is open to the public; a registration fee of 100 Euros per participant will be charged.