Conciliation is a tool for the settlement of disputes arising between enterprises or between enterprises and consumers, and aims at coming to an amicable dispute settlement. The parties can find a common and agreed solution that ends the dispute with the aid of a neutral and impartial third party.
Since the enactment of reform law no. 580/1993, the Chambers of Commerce have been the object of several other laws concerning the management of conciliation services that are presently based on greater harmonisation throughout the national territory. This is by virtue of the new conciliation rules and the new price list that is being adopted by all the Chambers of Commerce.

Just as for disputes between two or more parties the intervention of a third party is envisaged, in conciliation there is also the intervention by an impartial and neutral third party; however, while in the first case intervention aims at settling the dispute, in the second case a third party intervention aims at developing negotiations between the parties involved.

The conciliation procedure envisages that the disputing parties are guided by the third neutral party through the achievement of an agreement of mutual satisfaction. Conciliation Commissions are established at the Chambers of Commerce and, in consideration of the nature of the latter, offer the advantage of guaranteeing a greater impartiality.
All the Chambers of Commerce established Conciliation Desks, in consideration of the compulsoriness of the attempt of conciliation for disputes arising from sub-contracting agreements, introduced by law no. 192 of 1998.
Besides the general provision envisaging the establishment of conciliation commissions for the settlement of disputes between enterprises, and between enterprises and consumers, contained in the Chamber of Commerce reform law, law no. 281 of 1998 envisages that trading associations, before bringing the matter before a Judge, can activate conciliation before the Conciliation Commissions of the Chambers of Commerce.

As to controversies concerning tourist services, the outline law on tourism entrusts the task of establishing conciliation and arbitration Commissions to the Chambers of Commerce.
In order to bring the conciliation procedure, plaintiffs have to file the relevant conciliation applications with the Chamber of Commerce, by filling in the suitable form,. The Chambers Conciliation Desk shall give notice to the counterpart about the conciliation application; in turn, the counterpart shall notify whether he/she intends to accept this type of procedure or not.
Dispute settlement is entrusted to a board made up of three conciliators, who formulate the conciliation solution.