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Study on the use of alternative dispute resolution in the European Union
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Project summary:
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a term used for a wide variety of mechanisms
aimed at resolving conflicts without direct intervention by a court. ADR schemes
usually use a third party such as an arbitrator, mediator, or an ombudsman to help the
consumer and the trader reach a solution to their dispute.
The European Commission has adopted two Recommendations (98/257/EC and
2001/310/EC) which have established principles for ADR schemes. Member States
have notified the Commission of more than 400 ADR schemes that they deem to be in
conformity with the principles set up in the Recommendations. Nevertheless, ADR
mechanisms have been developed unequally across the European Union. The number
of ADR bodies, the procedures (arbitration, mediation, etc.), the nature of the initiative
(public or private), and the status of the decisions adopted by ADR bodies
(recommendation or binding decision) differ greatly.
This study provided an overview of existing ADR schemes throughout the EU and how they work. Civic Consulting collected quantitative and qualitative data
in order to identify consumer ADR bodies in the Member States, to identify existing
gaps, and to analyse whether existing ADR schemes are in conformity with the
Commission Recommendations. The report was based on data collected between January and August 2009.
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Client/Financing Institution:
European Commission, DG SANCO
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 View final report
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