Pre-Trial Administrative Disputes Resolution in Germany, France, Italy and Ukraine: Comparative Aspect

Abstract

Background. This article highlights the main issues of the introduction and legislative approach to regulation of pre-trial administrative disputes resolution in Ukraine together with some examples from such European countries as Germany, France and Italy. Relevance of the contemplated study is that there is no exact definition of the concept "pre-trial administrative disputes resolution" in Ukrainian legislation, and there is also a lack of a clear understanding of the essence of pre-trial procedures in Ukraine. The purpose of the research is to analyze the existing practice of legal regulation regarding similar procedures in European countries of Romano-Germanic legal group as Germany, France and Italy and to define their effectiveness as well as to discuss the necessity of their being borrowed by Ukraine. Methods. The methodological bases for the article are general and special methods of legal science, namely: the method of analysis, the method of synthesis, formal and logical, normative and dogmatic, comparative methods. Results. It has been concluded that mediation and pre-trial administrative disputes resolution are different legal procedures both in Ukraine and in the legal practice of above-mentioned states. A brief description of the new institution for pre-trial dispute resolution in Ukraine – the complaint review commission – is offered. An illustrative comparative study of pre-trial dispute resolution procedures in Germany, France and Italy including an administrative complaint, objection to administrative act, remonstration, conciliation, extraordinary appeal, arbitration and examples of its application regarding administrative cases is observed. A brief description of the legal rules of Germany, France and Italy establishing mandatory pre-trial tax disputes resolution, disputes in the field of public service and disputes in the field of social guarantees is also provided. Conclusions. The unequivocal need for the national legislature to apply the experience of legislative regulation and practice of mentioned countries regarding establishment of mandatory procedures for pre-trial administrative disputes resolution, in particular, tax disputes, is justified; the need for qualitative improvement and broader legal regulation of administrative appeal in Ukraine is confirmed; impracticality of establishing mandatory mediation in certain categories of administrative disputes before bringing an action to the administrative court is explained.