THE "BENEFITS OF MEDIATION IN DEALING WITH CONFLICTS" CONFERENCE /DORIN BĂDULESCU: "Mediation is much cheaper and has advantages over the courts"

Mediation is much cheaper and has advantages over the standard legal system, according to Dorin Valeriu Bădulescu, the president of the Mediation Council. In his opinion, in the European Union mediation only accounts for 5% of the costs of a lawsuit, and mediators could handle the entire range of lawsuits.

"The huge cost benefits come represented by the swiftness of the recovery of some amounts of money", he said, and he emphasized that in the mediation process, judicial stamp fees are also avoided.

Other benefits of mediation are quickness, the flexibility of the procedures, confidentiality and the direct participation of the parties, according to Mr. Bădulescu.

He said: "We do not have a very strict framework, the mediator can travel to the locations of the parties. There is no possibility of the mediators influencing the solution, as the mediators are neutral and impartial. As part of the mediation procedures, the business of the parties involved does not go to before an auditor, and the mediators are required to keep the object of the mediation a secret, if the parties so choose".

Dorin Bădulescu said that the high rate of success of mediation is guaranteed, over 90% of the people who resort to this procedure find a solution for reconciling with the opposing party.

According to the president of the Mediation Council, at an international conference concerning this activity the conclusion was that mediation is the only viable solution in dealing with the commercial and civil issues between the various states of the EU.