Paper Title
New Dimensions of Party Autonomy in European Private International Law

Abstract
The parties’ right to determine the applicable law to their relationship has been a basic legal institution in private international law for a long time. Despite the fact that it was recognized by scholars in the second half of the 19th century, in the next hundred years its application remained mostly within the frame of the law of contracts only. The developments of private international law at the end of the 20th century (especially those of the law of the European Union) then profoundly changed the situation and the possibility to choose the applicable law by the parties visibly became part of all other areas of private international law, from family law through the law of property to the law of succession and some choice of law rules seem to be recognized even in some aspects of the law of persons. The paper discusses the new dimensions of party autonomy in determining the applicable law according to the relevant EU legislation - with some comments on the recent changes of Hungarian private international law. Keywords - Choice of Law, Conflict of Laws, EU Law, Hungary, Party Autonomy, Private International Law.