The Institution

In Greece, mediation is regulated according to the provisions of law 3898/2010 (Mediation in civil and commercial matters), which transposed the EU Directive 2008/52/EU into the national law.

According to law 3898/2010, mediation is defined as a structured process, however named, in which two or more parties of a dispute attempt voluntarily to resolve through a mutually accepted agreement the dispute they are involved in, with the help of a third neutral, the Mediator.

Mediation is different to the conciliation attempt made by the Magistrate or the Court during the hearing, in accordance with Articles 208 et seq. And 233 paragraph 2 CCP.

Private disputes may be subject to mediation following the agreement of the parties, provided the parties have the power to dispose of the object of the dispute.

A document or, in case of paragraph 2 of Article 3 of Law. 3898/2010, a court record serves as proof that a mediation is about to take place.