For those of us who teach European private law, one thing that has been lacking thus far is a single text that could be used for this purpose. Although the scholarly literature on European private law is voluminous, finding an ‘access point’ for this subject has been more difficult. When Cambridge University Press decided to develop its successful Companion series by adding titles on particular areas of law, a unique opportunity for putting together such a single text presented itself.

The purpose of this Companion to European Union Private Law is twofold: first, it explores many of the general themes that have emerged in this subject; and, secondly, it examines specific topics, such as unfair terms, withdrawal rights, sales or non-discrimination. The overall purpose of this Companion is to enable the reader to gain solid foundations in this subject, while those already experienced in this field might find a fresh look at the broader picture of interest.

My thanks go to all the contributors to this Companion for agreeing to participate in this venture, to Sine´ad Moloney and Cambridge University Press for inviting me to take on this project, and to Daniel Metcalfe for assisting with the editing process for some of the chapters. The biggest thanks go to Bev and Sophie, who have (once again) patiently endured my disappearance into the study for hours on end to complete the editing process.