On the Europeanness of transnational private law: Human rights due diligence laws inside and out

This paper presents a reflection on the Europeanness of the ‘foundations of European transnational private law’ introduced in the book by this title edited by Beckers, Micklitz, Vallejo and Letto-Vanamo. Complementing the editors’ careful outlining of the concept, a critical assessment with due diligence laws as an example presents four points for further thought: (i) connections and overlaps among epistemic academic communities; (ii) the qualification of European law in relation to transnational law; (iii) normative objectives of European transnational private law and the study of the field; and (iv) decolonization of legal research and education. Together, these form the basis for a proposal to change the name of the concept to ‘transnational European private law’, which integrates the study of European law's global reach more visibly into critical post-colonial discourses of transnational law.