The Mediation Committee (Vermittlungsausschuss) of the upper and the lower house of the German parliament (Bundesrat and Bundestag) has put the Mediation Act on the agenda for its June 13, 2012 session. It remains to be seen whether a compromise can be reached on the role of the courts in mediation. An activist role for judges as mediators is an issue close to the heart of some federal states, and which has held up the timely implementation of the EU Mediation Directive until now.