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According to the World Bank's Doing Business 2005 report, it takes an average of 1,000 days for businessmen to obtain a Polish court's decision in contractual disputes. This statistic places Poland at the very bottom of a list of 140 countries included in the World Bank's research.

In many countries legal procedures could be expedited, thanks to the use of business mediation. In Poland, an amendment to the Code of Civil Procedures, which updates and promotes the role of a mediator in solving disputes, came into force in December 2005.

Last week, the Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) Lewiatan launched its mediation center, which deals with economic and social disputes between business entities. Disputes will be considered by a mediator, chosen by a court or both parties to the conflict.

"Debt collectors say that after six months the majority of debts are irrecoverable and 90 percent of complaints against Poland filed to the Strasbourg Tribunal of Human Rights are related to lengthy legal procedures," explains PKPP in its communique. "An efficient judiciary is especially important if we want to enhance the business environment in Poland. It is essential for the smooth functioning of enterprises."

For PKPP, the mediation center is the second such organization outside of the courts system. A year ago, PKPP established its arbitration court.