The Rome Convention of 1980 on the law applicable to contractual obligations unifies the rules of private international law of Member States concerning the determination of which law governs a contract. The basic principle is that of the freedom of choice of the parties to the contract to determine which law shall govern their contractual relations. The choice may be express or be implied. In the absence of choice by the parties the law governing the contract is that of the country with which the contract is most closely connected. The Convention lays down some factors which enable this law to be identified.