Source: http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/innovative-changes-for-belgiums-arbitra-71577/
Timestamp: 2014-11-24 12:21:41
Document Index: 568243422

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 25', 'Art. 33', 'Art. 5', 'Art. 7', 'Art. 7', 'Art. 10']

Innovative changes for Belgium’s arbitration rules | DLA Piper - JDSupra
Dodo Chochitaichvili, Jean-Michel Detry | DLA Piper
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This year Belgium has already seen significant reforms in its arbitration rules. These innovative changes include the adoption of a new Arbitration Act and the adoption of new Arbitration and Mediation Rules by the Belgian Centre of Arbitration and Mediation (CEPANI).
The Arbitration Act dated 24 June 20131 entered into force on 1 September 2013. The Act, which is based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, reforms the section of the Belgian Judicial Code which deals with arbitration proceedings, without making a distinction between domestic and international arbitration.
By adopting a progressive Arbitration Act while keeping some Belgian idiosyncrasies, Belgium has indicated its intention to be a good modern forum for arbitration and an attractive place for users of international arbitration.
The following changes are of particular interest among those brought about by the new Arbitration Act:
Other changes include the introduction of a limitation period within which an award must be enforced of ten years from the date of the notification of the award, the introduction of principles according to which the arbitral tribunal must ensure the equal treatment of the parties, and the clarification of the double criterion of arbitrability (i.e. disputes may be arbitrated when: (i) the dispute is of a patrimonial nature, i.e. of monetary value; or (ii) the dispute is not of a patrimonial nature but the parties can agree on the subject of the dispute).
The CEPANI Rules
The new CEPANI Rules2 apply to arbitration and mediation proceedings commenced on or after 1 January 2013, unless the parties have agreed to submit their dispute to an earlier version of the Rules in effect on the date of the agreement.
Other new provisions of the Arbitration Rules are the statement of availability, acceptance and independence that prospective arbitrators must sign and their limited liability, the confidentiality of the arbitration proceedings (Art. 25) and the correction and interpretation of awards (Art. 33).
The new Mediation Rules require mediators to sign a statement of acceptance, availability and independence and to comply with the Rules of Good Conduct set out in Schedule II (Art. 5).
Further, the mediator has a duty to ensure that the proceedings are properly conducted and must create a favourable climate to assist the parties to find a solution to their dispute (Art. 7.1). The mediator must also ensure that the parties are always treated on an equal basis (Art. 7.2).
The mediation procedure is also confidential (Art. 10).
1 The new Act was published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 28 June 2013, p. 41263.
2 www.cepani.be
Topics: Arbitration, Dispute Resolution, EU, Mediation
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