European Parliament formally approved the Council’s common position on the new Mediation Directive

On 23 April 2008, the European Parliament formally approved, without amendments, the Council’s common position on the new Mediation Directive. Following its signature by the President of the European Parliament and by the President of the Council, the new Directive will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The purpose of the Directive is to facilitate access to dispute resolution and to promote the amicable settlement of disputes by encouraging the use of mediation and by ensuring a sound relationship between mediation and judicial proceedings.