The Adoption of the Directive on Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes in Italian Law

The essay analyses some of the legal problems associated with implementing Directive 2013/11/EU on the alternative dispute resolution of consumer disputes in the Italian legal system. The author explains important jurisprudential cases and focuses on two judgments of the Italian Constitutional Court and the Court of Justice. The aim of the essay is to underline the ‘dialogue’ between these Courts regarding alternative dispute resolution (ADR). In fact, both Courts propose a systematic and axiologically oriented interpretation of the Italian-European discipline, and, inspired by the principle of proportionality, both Courts operate a balancing of the principles involved in order to implement the values that inform the Italian legal system.