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Ambassade de Belgique
Vienne, le 12 avril 2014
I do not know whether the non-Belgians who have joined us today are
aware that there exists in Belgium a so called "Deutschsprachige
Gemeinschaft", i.e. a German-speaking Community. It lies in the east of
Belgium on a small area of 854 km² (eight hundred and fifty four square
kilometres) – and shares borders with Germany, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg.
The official, educational and judicial language is German. People there live
at the intersection of two different cultures, the Germanic and the Roman.
They all are multilingual. About the East Belgian community one usually
says that people there "arbeiten preussisch und leben französisch", i.e. they
work like the Prussians and live like the French.
Excellency, you are native to this area and the reception you offer us today
is so great that its organization certainly required you working like a
Prussian. I am sure it will allow us as well to enjoy life as the French do in
similar circumstances, with delicious dishes and well-chosen wines.
As you are from the DG and as in addition we are in Vienna, let me speak
on with a few words in German.
Zu allererst möchte ich mich, sowohl im Namen des CEPANI, als auch
persönlich, ganz recht herzlich bei Ihnen für den heutigen Empfang in
dieser wundervollen Residenz anlässlich des MOOTs bedanken.
Das Ziel des MOOTs (Vis Arbitral Moot) ist es, das Studium der Regeln
des internationalen Handelsrechts und des Schiedsverfahrens zur
Beilegung internationaler Geschäftsstreitigkeiten durch die Anwendung
dieser Regeln auf einen konkreten Fall zu fördern und die juristischen
Führungskräfte
von
Morgen
im
Bereich
der
alternativen
Streitbeilegungsverfahren zu formen.
Insofern meine Informationen richtig sind, haben rund 350 Universitäten
Mannschaften ins Rennen geschickt, die sich mit ausländischen Studenten
messen.
Die rechtlichen und schriftlichen Übungen erfordern die Begutachtung von
bestimmten vertraglichen Fragen, im Hinblick auf ein Kauf- oder
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Verkaufsgeschäft, welches dem Übereinkommen der Vereinten Nationen
über Verträge über den internationalen Warenkauf, und/oder anderen
internationalen
Handelsregeln
unterliegt,
im
Rahmen
eines
Schiedsverfahrens unter Anwendung von bestimmten Schiedsregeln.
Dieses Jahr ist der MOOT für Belgien von ganz besonderer Bedeutung.
Die Schiedsgerichtsordnung, die in den Vertragsübungen angewandt
wurde, ist die des CEPANI, sprich die des belgischen Zentrums für
Schieds- und Mediationsrecht.
Die Tatsache, dass sie einen solchen Empfang ausgerichtet haben, darf und
kann nur als vortrefflich bezeichnet werden. Es verdeutlicht das Interesse
Belgiens an dem Schiedswesen, welches sowohl das klassische
internationale Handelsschiedsverfahren, als auch das Schiedsverfahren in
Investmentangelegenheiten, beinhaltet.
Even if today, arbitration has become the usual method of dispute
resolution in international trade, our country and our government are
convinced that the promotion of arbitration must be ensured as a means of
settling disputes. Without denying the efforts also deployed by other
countries and without claiming a monopoly or exclusivity, our country and
our government increase efforts to convince the actors of International
Trade that Brussels, just like other Belgian cities, are advantageous
arbitration locations when the matter is international.
Allow me to mention two major steps that Belgium has just taken to make
our country a welcoming place for international arbitration.
First, Belgium decided to modernize its legislation. A new law draft
prepared by a work group compound of professors and practitioners,
chaired by the CEPANI’s former Chairman Prof. Keutgen here present and
acting under CEPANI’s auspices, was adopted within a record timeframe
of 2 months. The new text came into force on the 1st of last September.
The new Belgian law is largely based on the UNCITRAL Model Law. That
means that access to Belgian law is easy. When it departs from it or
completes it, the new Belgian law leans on a more liberal legislation for
the sake of greater flexibility and efficiency.
Of course, Belgian law enshrines the principle of procedural autonomy and
gives it a very broad scope. Pursuant to the principle of procedural
autonomy:
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-
The parties are free to agree on the procedure to be followed by
the Arbitral Tribunal in conducting the proceedings.
-
Absent such an agreement, the Arbitral Tribunal, may subject to
some provisions of the new law, determine the rules applicable to
the arbitration proceedings in such manner as it considers
appropriate (art. 1700)
This principle allows organizing a tailored procedure in order to take
account of the needs, customs, pattern of thought and culture of the parties;
it implies that national juridical concepts coming from a simple custom or
a simple tradition should not be rendered binding.
We can also add a few elements:
-
Parties are entirely free in their choice of language, arbitrators and
rules of the arbitral proceedings.
-
The role of local courts in arbitral matters is mainly limited to
interventions in support of arbitration, for instance by ordering
within a short period of time an interim or conservative measure
requested by a party.
-
Parties may choose the place of arbitration and decide to hold
meetings or hearings in a city that is different from the place of
arbitration.
Then, CEPANI also adopted a new regulation that came into force on the
1st of January 2013. This regulation is more modern, especially with
regard to the provisions on provisional measures, multiparty or
multicontract arbitrations, intervention, junction or still urgent arbitration.
But these provisions leave untouched CEPANI’s main features, which are:
-
CEPANI administers arbitral proceedings;
-
CEPANI does not interfere in the decision on the merits;
-
It is up to the arbitrators to settle the dispute;
-
Therefore, the costs of arbitration are low.
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Some other features might be mentioned
-
Prior to the examination of the file, the Arbitral Tribunal shall
draw up a document defining the Terms of Reference.
-
Parties may organize as they find appropriate the witness
examination if any.
-
Unless it has been agreed otherwise by the parties or unless there
is a legal obligation to disclose, the arbitration proceedings shall
be confidential.
-
Interim and conservative measures might be requested by a party
prior to or after the constitution of the Arbitral Tribunal. For
interim and conservatory measure that are requested prior to the
constitution of the Arbitral Tribunal, the appointment of an
emergency arbitrator will take place.
There are no necessary connections between the applicable law, the place
of arbitration and arbitration under CEPANI Rules.
Parties may choose Brussels even though they make the choice of another
arbitration regulation, like for example the ones from ICC, LCIA, VIAC,
etc.
Finally, other factors that may lead to Brussels being chosen as arbitration
location have to be mentioned.
-
Brussels is a true international city.
-
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and of the European Union.
-
Brussels is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city.
-
Belgium has always favoured arbitration.
-
Brussels is not expensive.
However, these words are not the conclusion of my presentation. My
second-to-last words are dedicated to the organisers. I reminded that,
thanks to them, students coming from 350 universities meet in Vienna.
Of course, they participate in a competition. But first of all, they are the
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representatives of a new generation and are the future lawyers and
future arbitrators of international disputes. The Moot gives them a
wonderful opportunity to meet others. One cannot appreciate another
without knowing him. Having worked together within a same event can
only contribute to creating links between them that, I hope, time will
allow to keep and strengthen.
Excellency, it is also because you have understood the importance of
this event that you have agreed to receive us so well.
Allow me to conclude my talk by thanking you once again for the
quality of your welcome.