EDRS Events
Summary of the EDRS event of 16 December 2025 on “The Position of the European Union towards the Singapore Convention on Mediation ”
The Singapore Convention on Mediation is the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 2018 and opened for signature in Singapore on 7 August 2019. There are already 19 Parties to the Singapore Convention on Mediation, which has entered into force since 12 September 2020, and there are additional 42 Signatories, among which Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Saudi, Arabia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, and some countries of Eastern Europe. So far, not one member state of the European Union nor the European Union itself have signed this international convention on the cross-border enforcement of international settlement agreements resulting from mediation.
18:30 – brief welcome EDRS
18:40 – 19:10 : Keynote speech by
Mr. Gordon Humphreys
Chairperson of the First Board and the Third Board of Appeal at the EUIPO, Alicante
When Global Treaties Knock : Dilemmas and Challenges in embracing the Singapore Convention on Mediation within the EU
19:10 – 19:40 : Panel discussion with :
- Dr. Herman Verbist
(moderator)
Partner Everest Attorneys / Arbitration and Mediation - Dr. Norel Rosner
EU Commission, DG Justice and Consumers, Brussels - Mr. Ales Zalar
Director at the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court, Ljubljana
Former Minister of Justice of Slovenia - Dr. Judith Knieper
Legal Officer, United Nations Commission on International Trade law (UNCITRAL), Vienna
Secretary of Working Group II on Dispute Settlement and responsible for Mediation
19:40 – 20:00 : Q&A
Summary of Panel Discussion of 17 June 2025 on “Enforcement of intra-EU BIT and ECT awards in third countries outside the EU”
The European Dispute Resolution Society (“EDRS”) is an independent not-for-profit organization which aims to bring together academics, practitioners and policy-makers for debates on topical discussions and developments related to dispute resolution in, with and by the European Union and its Member States, in the broadest sense.
It organised a third event on 17 June 2025 on the topic of “Enforcement of intra-EU BIT and ECT awards in third countries outside the EU”.
On behalf of the EDRS, Dr Herman Verbist (EDRS Executive Committee Member; attorney with Everest Attorneys) welcomed the more than 40 persons having registered for the event, most of whom were attending remotely.
Prof. Christopher Vajda KC (Member of the Bar of England and Wales and of Luxembourg; Monckton Chambers, London; Visiting Professor King’s College, London) delivered a keynote speech on the topic of “Enforcement of intra-EU BIT and ECT awards in third countries outside the EU”, whereby he gave an overview of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in regard to intra-EU investor-State disputes as well as of case law of state courts in several countries and arbitral case law having dealt with intra-EU BIT and ECT arbitration pleas.
Dr. Michael De Boeck (EDRS Executive Committee member; attorney with Acquis) was moderator of a panel discussion on topical questions related to case law in this field with the following speakers: Dr. Hanno Wehland (Arbitrator and international arbitration counsel qualified in Germany, Switzerland, and England & Wales, Wehland Arbitration, Zurich) and Ms. Lorna Armati (Legal service of the European Commission).
The panel discussion was followed by a lively Q&A debate with the active participation of the audience members attending in-person and online.
The event was hosted by the ACQUIS law office in Brussels.
More information on the European Dispute Resolution Society at : https://www.edrs.eu.
Panel Discussion: Enforcement of Intra-EU Investment Arbitration Awards Outside of the EU.
The European Dispute Resolution Society is pleased to announce its next event: The Enforcement of Intra-EU Investment Arbitration Awards Outside of the EU. Join us on 17 June 2025 at 18:00.
The fate of intra-EU investment arbitrations was seriously affected by the infamous Achmea judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in March 2018. Since then, the judgment's various effects reverberate on new and pending arbitral proceedings, and on the enforcement and recognition of arbitral awards in and outside of the EU. We are delighted that former UK CJEU Judge, Mr. Christopher Vajda QC will present a keynote on the development of the CJEU's position in the Achmea judgment and following case-law. Our experienced panellists will then focus the discussion on the practice and implications of recognition and enforcement of intra-EU investment arbitration awards in jurisdictions outside of the EU.
Programme:
17:30h: Doors open/Registration
18:00h - Welcome address
18:05h : Keynote Speech by Mr. Christopher Vajda KC
18:35h : Panel Discussion
- Dr. Michael De Boeck (Partner, Acquis Brussels)
- Ms. Lorna Armati (EU Commission Legal Service)
- Dr. Hanno Wehland: Wehland Arbitration | Arbitrator and international arbitration counsel | Qualified in Germany, Switzerland, and England & Wales
Followed by Q&A session
After the panel discussion, we welcome questions from the audience to the panellists.
19:30 – 20:45h: networking drinks
kindly hosted by ACQUIS EU Law & Policy
- Title: Enforcement of intra-EU investment awards outside of the EU
- Format: in-person event followed by network drinks, online participation possible.
- Venue:
kindly hosted by:
ACQUIS,
Rue du Trône 98 (1st floor)
1050 Brussels
- Date: 17June 2025, 18:00h - 21:00 (doors open 17:30h)