The Hague Conference in 1904 passed a Convention on the conflict of laws relating to the effects of marriage on the personal relations between spouses and their matrimonial property relations.1 In the latter respect the national law of the husband at the time of marriage became the principal connecting factor, a limited scope was given to the autonomy of the parties and the principle of mutability (infra) was applied in case of change in the national law of both spouses. The Convention was signed on 17 July 1905 and ratified by 9 states, three of which have subsequently denounced it. Minor changes were made at the Hague Conference in 1928 but never came into force.2 Conflict of laws in marital property relations attracted new interest in the 60's and a number of proposals for new rules were made both at international congresses and in national law reform work.3 The Twelfth Session of the Hague Conference, in 1972, adopted a proposal to discuss at the following session the question of the law applicable to matrimonial property. A Special Commission set up to prepare the work met twice during 1975 and, on the basis of extensive material on the national laws of the member countries collected by G. Droz, Deputy Secretary General of the Conference, it prepared a draft for submission to the Thirteenth Session together with the report of Professor A.E. van Overbeck.4