I. Family law was once widely seen as a relatively fruitless stomping ground for the comparative lawyer. That attitude is now changing, and the European Family Law series, published under the auspices of the Commission on European Family Law, is an important catalyst in this development. The Commission, composed of a group of academics, has the aim of creating a set of Principles of European Family Law in areas suited to harmonisation. Since the Commission has no political mandate, its Principles are intended to serve only as inspiration for national legislatures. A pan-European ‘common core’ is identified and used where possible, based on national reports. Where such a core cannot be found, the Commission takes a ‘better law’ approach, adopting the most normatively desirable option.