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Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I)
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1.For the purposes of this Regulation, the habitual residence of companies and other bodies, corporate or unincorporated, shall be the place of central administration.
The habitual residence of a natural person acting in the course of his business activity shall be his principal place of business.
2.Where the contract is concluded in the course of the operations of a branch, agency or any other establishment, or if, under the contract, performance is the responsibility of such a branch, agency or establishment, the place where the branch, agency or any other establishment is located shall be treated as the place of habitual residence.
3.For the purposes of determining the habitual residence, the relevant point in time shall be the time of the conclusion of the contract.
The application of the law of any country specified by this Regulation means the application of the rules of law in force in that country other than its rules of private international law, unless provided otherwise in this Regulation.
The application of a provision of the law of any country specified by this Regulation may be refused only if such application is manifestly incompatible with the public policy (ordre public) of the forum.
1.Where a State comprises several territorial units, each of which has its own rules of law in respect of contractual obligations, each territorial unit shall be considered as a country for the purposes of identifying the law applicable under this Regulation.
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Textual Amendments
With the exception of Article 7, this Regulation shall not prejudice the application of provisions of [F2retained EU law] which, in relation to particular matters, lay down conflict-of-law rules relating to contractual obligations.
Textual Amendments
F2Words in Art. 23 substituted (31.12.2020) by The Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations and Non-Contractual Obligations (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/834), regs. 1, 10(9); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
[F31.This Regulation replaces the provision made by section 2 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990.]
2.In so far as this Regulation replaces the [F4provision made by section 2 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990], any reference to [F4the Rome] Convention shall be understood as a reference to this Regulation.
Textual Amendments
1.This Regulation shall not prejudice the application of international conventions to which [F5the United Kingdom was a party] at the time when this Regulation [F6was adopted] and which lay down conflict-of-law rules relating to contractual obligations.
2.However, this Regulation shall, as between [F7relevant states], take precedence over conventions concluded exclusively between two or more of them in so far as such conventions concern matters governed by this Regulation.
Textual Amendments
F5Words in Art. 25(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations and Non-Contractual Obligations (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/834), regs. 1, 10(11)(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
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Textual Amendments
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Textual Amendments
1.Subject to paragraph 2, this Regulation shall apply to contracts concluded on or after IP completion day.
2.In the case of conflicts between the laws of—
(adifferent parts of the United Kingdom, or
(bone or more parts of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar,
this Regulation shall apply to contracts concluded on or after 17 December 2009.]
Textual Amendments
F10Art. 28 substituted (31.12.2020) by The Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations and Non-Contractual Obligations (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/834), regs. 1, 10(12A) (as inserted by S.I. 2020/1574, regs. 1, 6(12)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
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