This book adds an in-depth and broad comparative law study on the meaning of tort law in mass harm cases in Europe. It examines this phenomenon based on 12 diff erent case studies in 12 European jurisdictions. Because of the objectives of this study, we did not limit ourselves to only an analysis of substantive tort law, but also included procedural law aspects. This also marks a novelty in the Common Core tradition: procedural (im)possibilities of damage recovery in mass harm cases have also been mapped out. As such, it gives a clearer picture of what tort law can de facto mean in mass harm cases. In addition, four general chapters have been included in the study that provide more context to the settlement of this type of mass harm cases. Overall, this is the first study to provide such a broad and comprehensive overview of what is likely to be the common core in the settlement of mass harm cases through private law in Europe.

A comprehensive comparative law study with so many contributors always takes a reasonable amount of time. For this project, we faced working during the global COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2019, we discussed the first version of the questionnaire with members of the tort law group in Trento. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, we were faced with lockdowns, additional teaching load relating to those lockdowns and the impossibility of physically meeting each other. We adjusted the project management accordingly. The questionnaire was answered in four parts by the contributors and we met online – during several meetings on Friday afternoons – to go through and compare the answers. To this day, this group of researchers has not physically met. Nevertheless, there was energy and enthusiasm in the group, and we enjoyed the glimpses into each other‘s working or private environments, which also gave this project a certain charm.

We would like to thank all contributors for all their enthusiasm, hard work, commitment and flexibility! We are grateful to Marte Infantino for her constant willingness to help think about the project throughout its duration.