ROLE OF STATE IN DEVELOPING MEDIATION – IN EU AND UKRAINE (A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE)

Ukraine’s status as a candidate country and the start of negotiations on accession to the European Union require a comparative analysis and harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the legislation of other EU Member States and European legislation. One of the areas of comparative jurisprudence is the development of mediation as a legal institution, including the state policy of legislative regulation of the mediation institution. This development has attracted the attention and support of the EU and the Council of Europe, as European democratic standards require cooperation between the state and citizens or individuals. However, the need for a more cohesive and unified approach to mediation across the EU remains crucial, as highlighted by De Palo & Trevor (2012) , who argue that such harmonization would strengthen the effectiveness and accessibility of mediation services. The purpose of this article is, first, to compare the role of the state in the development of mediation in the EU and Ukraine. The state of research and literature on this topic in the EU and Ukraine is not sufficiently systematic, so a comparative analysis of this topic is relevant. In terms of methodology, the paper applies logical and linguistic methods. Still, some conclusions are based both on statistical data and on the observations of the participants, in particular, on their own mediation practice. Despite the more active role of the state in the development of mediation in the EU, this process cannot be called a ‘success story’. To a certain extent, we can observe similarities between the EU and Ukraine regarding successes, challenges, and the state’s role as one of the actors promoting the development of mediation.