Private Law Theory

INTRODUCTION
It is well known to most readers of this paper that it has now been almost 18 years since the presentation of the Principles of European Tort Law (PETL) in Vienna and almost 30 years since the European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) was established. Looking back over the years, one can become nostalgic, but, in a rigorous academic analysis, it is permissible to ask what all this work, sustained for so many years, has been for and what impact it has had on the advancement of tort law in Europe (and perhaps beyond). It is also worth considering whether attempts should still be made to develop a 2.0 version of PETL and whether it is still necessary to continue supporting the work of the Group in its endeavours or whether this is already a dead project and the EGTL is simply a zombie that has anomalously survived after the disappearance of the groups that worked on the harmonisation of private law in Europe since the 1980s …

Miquel Martín-Casals, The Impact of the PETL on National Legislation and Case Law – A Survey, Journal of European Tort Law, volume 14, issue 1. Published by De Gruyter 5 April 2023.