The book deals with the impact of EU law on private relations. While EU law has principally developed through vertical relations of the Union and its Member States with private persons, its foundations, principles and enforcement mechanisms are increasingly affecting the growing body of EU law governing horizontal relations between individuals and undertakings. The results are sometimes unexpected and sometimes inappropriate.

The book provides a systematic introduction to the methods of EU law and the influence of EU law on national methods of law. It discusses the historical, economic and comparative background from a European perspective but also gives attention to the methodological particularities of selected areas of the law and different Member States.