Introduction

Increasing global interconnectedness, often subsumed under the term “‘globalization”, has led to the fragmentation of production processes. It has become feasible and economically advantageous for companies, bigger or smaller, to outsource some or most of their activities, often to Asian or South American regions. The phenomenon of the supply chain has received considerable academic interest in recent years, covering predominantly issues of logistics, logistics management, operations management, transactional cost economics, supply chain economics, product design, marketing, distribution channels and warehousing, to name a few. For the rising interest in the organization of supply chains, researchers from many disciplines with different research approaches and knowledge have found a common interest. Although rules on private international law may lead to the result that a case must be decided in accordance with the law in a country in the developing world, the relevant legal system will often be based on a European legal tradition.