The New Act entered into force on 1 January 2015 in relation to arbitrations commenced on or after 1 January 2015. The New Act is an amendment to the former Dutch Arbitration Act, which dates back to 1986, many aspects of which remain unchanged in the New Act. Although the Act is not based on the UNCITRAL Model Law (2006), the Dutch legislator, in its preparation for the New Act, did look to the Model Law (2006). Overall, in the New Act, the legislator has granted the parties more autonomy to shape the arbitration as they deem fit. In fact, only a few provisions in the New Act, all relating to due process, are of a mandatory nature. A full unofficial English translation of the text of the New Act is available on the website of the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (http:/www.nai-nl.org/en/).