The Milan Chamber of Arbitration, the leading Italian institution for arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution services, has issued a new edition of its arbitration rules to reflect recent changes in Italian arbitration law and modern trends in international arbitration.

The Milan Chamber of Arbitration was created in 1985 as a special agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture. It began by providing arbitration services, but has since widened its range of activities. It now offers mediation services, online dispute settlement services (through the RisolviOnline programme) and domain name reassignment.

Specific projects, mainly conducted with other Mediterranean countries, cater for the needs of international operators. The Italy-China Business Mediation Centre focuses on disputes between Chinese and Italian companies. A research centre provides training in the procedure and documentation on alternative dispute resolution, as well as general educational resources, promotion and support for the development of alternative methods of resolving commercial disputes.

The revision of the rules was aimed at creating a faster and more effective system of arbitration and mediation, giving tribunals greater procedural freedom and providing parties in dispute with a stronger guarantee of confidentiality. The new rules incorporate most of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules 1976, as revised by Working Group II on International Arbitration and Conciliation (in which representatives of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration participated). The Milan Rules continue to apply without distinction to domestic and international arbitration, as they have done since 2004.

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