EU Directive
"The Mediation Act is a milestone on the path to a new culture of debate in Germany. With the help of mediators, parties may resolve their conflicts on the basis of voluntariness and mutual agreement. This will avoid that disputes are decide to the bitter end - often with losers. The parties save also time-consuming and costly litigation. Mediation thus also benefiting the state courts, which can focus on the non-consensus solvable litigation. ... the new law on mediation is a new culture and it will certainly take some time until the changeover happened. However, with the present law we pursue the right course."
News release no. 2, 1st June 2012:
Bonn. 1. German mediation-conference on 16 June 2012 in the former chamber of the German Bundestag. Statement in advance by the Bundestag, Prof. Dr. Patrick Sensburg, as a member of the legal Committee involved in the implementation of the EU Directive on the promotion of mediation.