JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : PARLIAMENT BACKS ROME II WITH A DEFAMATION CLAUSE.

A controversial clause specifying whose law to apply in cross-border defamation cases was reinserted into the Rome II' regulation by the European Parliament on 18 January. MEPs, by contrast, removed a specific clause for unfair competition, allowing it instead to be covered by the general rule, i.e. that the law of the country where the damage occurs applies. The EP's second reading text differs substantially from the EU Council of Ministers' common position, so a conciliation committee will be convened to try to forge agreement (co-decision procedure).

Rapporteur Diana Wallis (Liberals, United Kingdom) insisted on...