Goldsmith: important first step

An official proposal for an EU Directive on mediation is expected from the European Commission next month, the secretary-general of the Council of Bars and Law Society of the European Union (CCBE) told a conference meeting of international delegates.

Solicitor Jonathan Goldsmith predicted that the directive is likely to be 'very basic' but that it was an important first step for the EU in the field of mediation as it would provide a degree of codification at commission level.


The proposed directive will follow last month's launch of a European code of conduct for mediation. Mr Goldsmith pointed out that while it was launched at a commission-organised conference, 'the code does not represent the commission's official position'.


The commission has not endorsed organisations that adhere to the code and Brussels is not conducting monitoring to assess whether or not the code is being followed.