Particulars of the body: Pursuant to Article 11 of Act 2251/94 on consumer protection, each department in Greece has a "commission for out-of-court amicable settlement of disputes" (see Annex 1 for commissions' addresses and telephone numbers).

Structure: The aforementioned tripartite commission consists of the following:

The commission's secretary (plus alternate) is appointed by the Prefect from among staff at the Prefecture's trade department. More than one commission can be set up if required by the number of cases or special conditions. The commissions deal only with individual cases. Their members are appointed at the start of each year for a one-year term of office, renewable indefinitely. The commission members receive no remuneration for their services.

Powers: The commission deals with all consumer-related disputes pitting consumers, or consumer associations, against suppliers. The competent commission is that with jurisdiction for the department in which the supplier provided the good/service to the consumer or in which it was agreed that it should be provided.

Procedure: Claims are referred to the commission at the request of consumers or of the local consumers' association. They are discussed in the order decided by the chairman, at the latest a fortnight after referral. There is a period of five days between the parties being summoned to attend and discussion of the matter. If special circumstances require, this period can be extended by a maximum of five days by decision of the commission's chairman. The parties involved can authorise a third person - who can be a lawyer, but does not have to be - to represent them during the proceedings. The commission adjudicates on the matter according to the law in force. It also takes account of customary practices governing transactions. The commission can request information from public services, public bodies and public interest undertakings as well as professional chambers or associations. Its decisions are reached by majority vote and its conclusions notified in writing to the parties concerned within a maximum of seven days following the discussion. The commission's conclusions are kept at the Prefecture and anyone can inspect them or obtain a copy.

Cost: There are no rules on the sharing of costs at the end of the procedure.

Nature of the Decision: The commission's conclusions cannot be challenged, are irrevocable and cannot be appealed against. They are not enforceable, do not have the binding authority of a final judgment and cannot suspend or influence the course of any other proceedings. Nevertheless, they can be taken into account by courts when collecting legal evidence.

Annex 1 for commissions' addresses and telephone numbers

"T.K." means postal code.

"Diikitirio" means "Administration" in this case.