Mediation & arbitration
Greece has a new Code of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law 5344/2026 (Government Gazette Α' 168/16.10.2026). Its arbitration part, a single set of rules for domestic and international arbitration based on the 2006 UNCITRAL Model Law, applies from 1 January 2027. From 1 March 2027, for the disputes the Code lists, which include claims heard under the ordinary procedure with a value above €20,000 and certain disputes within private companies (ΙΚΕ), a court hearing is not admissible unless an introductory session of mediation or judicial mediation has taken place first.
In short
The Code brings mediation, arbitration and judicial mediation into one statute. It repeals, among other provisions, the arbitration book of the Code of Civil Procedure, articles 1 to 31 of Law 4640/2019 on mediation and Part A of Law 5016/2023 on international commercial arbitration. Its provisions take effect in stages (arbitration from 1 January 2027, mediation from 1 March 2027, judicial mediation from 16 September 2027), so the date on which a dispute starts matters.
What the Code changes for businesses
The provisions most relevant to companies, with the dates they apply from:
Arbitration (from 1 January 2027): one set of rules for domestic and international arbitration seated in Greece, based on the UNCITRAL Model Law of 2006. Private-law disputes can be referred to arbitration by agreement where the parties can dispose of the subject matter; employment and consumer disputes only by an agreement made after the dispute has arisen.
Existing arbitration clauses (from 1 January 2027): arbitration agreements made before the Code remain valid; arbitrations started after it applies are governed by the new rules, and arbitrations already started continue under the rules in force when they began.
Mandatory introductory session (from 1 March 2027): for the disputes listed in article 15, the hearing of a court action is inadmissible unless an introductory session of mediation or judicial mediation has taken place. The parties choose the method; without agreement, the dispute goes to mediation.
Which business disputes: among others, disputes heard under the ordinary procedure by the single-member first-instance court where the value exceeds €20,000, or by the multi-member first-instance court; disputes under article 48 of Law 4072/2012 on private companies (ΙΚΕ); and, in general partnerships (ΟΕ) under the same law, certain disputes on dissolution and on the rights of a partner who leaves or is excluded.
Timetable: the other party has 15 days from the invitation, or 30 days if it lives abroad, to say in writing whether it accepts the proposed method; the introductory session is then completed within 30 days. The invitation and the session suspend limitation and preclusive periods.
Non-attendance: a court may impose a sanction of €100 to €1,000 on a party that refuses or fails to attend the introductory session without good reason, and takes the refusal into account when awarding costs.
Urgent relief: referral to mediation does not prevent an application for interim measures or a temporary order.
Public works contracts (from 1 January 2027): an arbitration clause may be included for works with a budget above €1,000,000 (previously €10,000,000) and for studies and related services above €100,000 (previously €1,000,000).
Where a contract contains a valid mediation clause, following the procedure in the clause counts as the mandatory pre-trial step. A mediation clause makes the completion of mediation a condition for going to court: if one party sues without it and the other relies on the clause, or the judge raises it, the court refers the parties to mediation. It is worth reviewing dispute-resolution clauses in standard contracts before the new rules apply.
If the parties settle, the mediation record becomes an enforceable title, to the extent the agreement can be enforced, once it is posted on the Unified Digital Mediation Portal or, until the portal is fully operational, filed with the competent court. Where the settlement includes acts that by law require a notarial deed, the Code sets additional formalities.
We review and draft dispute-resolution clauses, advise on whether mediation, arbitration or litigation fits a given dispute, prepare and represent clients in the introductory session and the mediation, and act in arbitration and in court where a dispute is not settled. The work is led by senior lawyers of the firm, in English and Greek.
Reviewed on 18 October 2026 against the Government Gazette text of Law 5344/2026 (Α' 168/16.10.2026), articles 15 to 18, 21, 22, 72, 82, 85, 188, 216 and 217. This page is general information, not legal advice.
FAQ
From 1 March 2027, for the disputes listed in article 15 of Law 5344/2026, which include ordinary-procedure claims above €20,000 at the single-member court, cases before the multi-member court and certain ΙΚΕ disputes, the court hearing is inadmissible unless an introductory session of mediation or judicial mediation has taken place first. The parties are not obliged to settle.
The arbitration part of Law 5344/2026 applies from 1 January 2027. Arbitrations already started continue under the rules in force when they began.
Yes. Arbitration agreements made before the Code remain valid; an arbitration started under them after 1 January 2027 follows the new rules.
The court may impose a sanction of €100 to €1,000 on a party that refuses or fails to attend without good reason, and takes this into account when awarding costs.
Yes. Referral to mediation or judicial mediation does not prevent an application for interim measures or a temporary order.
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