New charter aims to make mediation the norm in business disputes
8 October 2025
Brussels, 9 October 2025 – The Federal Mediation Commission (FMC) is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year and seizes this opportunity to launch a new initiative: the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) charter for businesses. “This charter gives companies, sector organizations, and associations the opportunity to publicly pledge that they will first resort to an amicable resolution of disputes, through negotiation or mediation, rather than going straight to court,” explains Marco Schoups, initiator and board member at the FMC.
In doing so, the FMC follows the example of the United States and the United Kingdom, where similar 'Mediation Pledges' have been well established for some time. The goal is clear: to make businesses deal with disputes more quickly, efficiently, and constructively, while embedding a genuine mediation culture in Belgian business.
“A well-mediated agreement benefits all parties in terms of time, resources, and capacity”, says the Minister of Justice, Annelies Verlinden, who is attending the launch today. “Particularly in businesses, deeply impacted by disputes, the consensus model has repeatedly proven its value. The ADR charter allows the amicable dispute resolution to be embedded in even more businesses.”
Efficient and cost-effective
The charter requires businesses to include clauses in their contracts stipulating that, in the event of disputes, priority is given to amicable solutions such as mediation, rather than immediately resorting to legal proceedings. In addition, they internally appoint a person responsible for coordinating the application of the charter and actively promoting mediation inside and outside the organization. In doing so, mediation becomes not only a legal agreement, but above all a built-in reflex in the corporate culture.
The advantages are definitely considerable. Through mediation, businesses avoid the costs and uncertainties of lengthy proceedings. They maintain valuable relationships with employees, partners, and suppliers, and create a positive dynamic within their teams. In short, mediation is a more future-oriented way of dealing with disputes.
Towards a mediation culture
Employers' organization VBO also supports the project. CEO Pieter Timmermans: “The ADR charter is a lever for businesses to future-proof their relationships with employees, suppliers, and partners. In an economy where collaboration pays off, this commitment is more relevant than ever.”
The initiative targets all businesses in Belgium, but places particular emphasis on the construction sector. Sector organizations Embuild and ADEB-VBA signed the project this morning.
The Institute of Company Lawyers (IBJ-IJE) is also a strong proponent of this initiative. Director-general Julie Dutordoir: “The Institute of Company Lawyers endorses the spirit of this ADR charter. Company lawyers are at the heart of the company and are therefore uniquely positioned not only to resolve disputes, but also to prevent them. This is in line with our deontological values and our belief that constructive dialogue and amicable solutions are the foundation for sustainable relationships and effective conflict management.”
Second version
The FMC is simultaneously launching a second version of the charter, which focuses on sector organizations: by signing the charter, they commit their sector to the goal of attempting mediation before going to court.
The charter's mediation clause not only covers disputes within the business, between an employer and an employee or between employees, but can also be added to contracts between businesses and their suppliers or subcontractors. “The snowball effect of mediation must spread throughout the entire corporate world”, stresses Marco Schoups. “After all, far too much energy, time, and money are currently being spent on legal proceedings that could have been resolved more cheaply, quickly, efficiently, and with a more positive impact on the relationship between the parties, through mediation.”
For the FMC, the charter is the next step in a long-term plan to make mediation more visible and accessible to businesses. The commission has been coordinating everything related to mediation in Belgium since 2005. With the ADR charter, it now wants to strengthen the involvement of the corporate world and work together to build a culture in which dialogue and amicable solutions are the norm.
The full ADR charter is available in Dutch(Opens in a new tab/window) and French(Opens in a new tab/window).
