Editorial

Abstract

On 28 March 2003 the Amsterdam Institute for Private Law organized a conference named ?European Constitutionalization of Private Law?. The aim of this conference was to discuss the influence of European constitutional public law on (national) private legal systems. To do so, speakers from the area of private law and European public law were invited. Although, there is no formal European Constitution, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) considers the European Treaties the ?constitutional charter? of the European Communities in its Les verts-decision. The heart of this substantive constitution is the internal market and the core thereof are competition rules and the free movement of goods, services, capital and persons. The ECJ has guaranteed the application of these European rules by the development of the doctrines of direct effect and supremacy of European law.