European Convention providing a Uniform Law on Arbitration
Strasbourg, 20.I.1966
The member States of the Council of Europe, signatory hereto, Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity among its members, in particular by the adoption of common rules in the legal field; Convinced that the unification of national laws would make for a more effective settlement of private law disputes by arbitration and would facilitate commercial relations between the member countries of the Council of Europe; Considering it desirable to adopt to this end a uniform law on arbitration in civil and commercial matters, Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
1. Each Contracting Party undertakes to incorporate in its law, within six months of the date of entry into force of this Convention in respect of that Party, the provisions of the uniform law contained in Annex I to this Convention.
2. Each Contracting Party has the right, in its law, to supplement the uniform law, by provisions designed to regulate questions for which no solutions are provided, on condition that such provisions are not incompatible with the uniform law.
3. Each Contracting Party has the right to provide in its law, in respect of specific matters, that disputes may not be referred to arbitration or may be submitted to arbitration according to rules other than those laid down in the uniform law.
4. Each Contracting Party has the right to declare, at the time of signature of this Convention or at the time of deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession, that it will apply the uniform law only to disputes arising out of legal relationships which are considered as commercial under its national law.
Article 2
Each Contracting Party undertakes not to maintain or introduce into its law provisions excluding aliens from being arbitrators.
Article 3
Each Contracting Party shall, for the purposes of the provisions of the uniform law, define "judicial authority", "competent authority" and, if need be, "registry of the court".