EN
In amodern world more and more aspects of social life move to the internet. The natural consequence of this trend is that online dispute resolution is also gaining interest, especially in e-commerce. The question to be answered is whether international or European law raises barriers to resolve disputes by means of electronic arbitration. Neither the New York Convention of 1958 nor the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration of 1961 prohibit arbitration clause to be signed by electronic means. Neither excludes dispute resolution in electronic procedure or produces any limits in this regard. Neither prevents adecision made in electronic arbitration from being recognised by state courts. Both the United Nations and the European Union undertook legislative works to sanction and regulate electronic arbitration. In case of the UN it is the UNCITRAL Working Group 3 which has been appointed to prepare acomplex procedure of online dispute resolution. It is difficult to estimate what the final shape of the procedure would look like and when it is to be ready. In case of the European Union the focus is on consumer arbitration, which should be in service in 2016. In both cases arbitration is limited to e-commerce.