Rome II clashes head-on with the directive and other existing laws. At the heart of the contention is what may seem a technical detail. The e-commerce directive and many other European regulations say the laws of the country where the supplier or Web site is situated should govern the matter. Rome II says the opposite, giving jurisdiction to the buyer's country instead. Companies large and small argue that Rome II's approach would impose such a nightmare of overlapping and conflicting laws on them that transacting international business over the Internet would be impractical without a huge legal staff.
Publishers say it also threatens to chill online news.
Newspapers wouldn't have the resources or the staff to do that. Proponents of the law argue that without familiar local laws to protect them, European consumers will never feel safe doing business online, and e-commerce will languish. Now that Rome II has been withdrawn from discussion, though, even consumer groups who favour its general approach are criticizing the change in tactics.