European Liaison Office | AVOCATS.BE | Ordre des Barreaux Francophones et Germanophone

In the face of increasing interventionism by the European legislator and decisions by the Court of Justice in cases challenging professional regulations, AVOCATS.BE ensures the defense of the legal profession, its regulations, and its fundamental values on the European stage.

To stay informed about European legislative initiatives that may impact the legal profession or the fundamental rights of citizens—and to be able to react before these texts are adopted—AVOCATS.BE has established a representation office with the European institutions and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (C.C.B.E.).

Why Europe directly concerns the profession

Substantive law: Lawyers must be familiar with and apply an increasing number of legal texts of European origin, which make up the majority of Belgium's legislative framework.
Internal market: Lawyers are also "legal service providers," established and active within the internal market. European rules on the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment therefore apply to them.
Competition law: Lawyers are also considered businesses under competition law, and their agreements and practices are subject to it.

The representation office monitors the initiatives of European institutions in these various areas and informs AVOCATS.BE of developments that may influence the profession.

Missions

The representation office's mission is to:

Defend the interests and values of the profession and represent French- and German-speaking lawyers from Belgium before European institutions (the Commission, the Council, and the Parliament);
Ensure continuous legal monitoring of European developments;
Intervene on behalf of lawyers and the fundamental rights of litigants within the European legislative process (lobbying);
Provide support to the Belgian delegation to the C.C.B.E.;
Exchange with other bars on common issues or challenges.

Monitoring European developments

AVOCATS.BE pays particular attention to European standards that may impact the ethical rules of the profession, the future of the bar, the daily practice of law, access to justice and the rights of the defense, as well as fundamental freedoms and values that AVOCATS.BE seeks to protect or promote.

Lobbying

The information gathered and transmitted by the representation office allows AVOCATS.BE to take a position on the various legislative projects under development.

Once this position is established, it must be brought to the attention of policymakers and developed so that it is understood and integrated into the texts under negotiation.

This is the lobbying mission of the office: to ensure that AVOCATS.BE's position is reflected in the C.C.B.E.'s positions or, failing that, brought to the attention of the drafters of the proposal, Members of the European Parliament, or Belgium's Permanent Representation to the EU, depending on the type of legislative instrument and the stage of the project.

AVOCATS.BE is registered in the European Union Transparency Register under identification number 238973830453-93.

Support for the Belgian delegation to the C.C.B.E.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (C.C.B.E.) is the European representative of the legal profession and thus the main interlocutor of European institutions: lobbying for the profession primarily goes through it.

The representation office follows the C.C.B.E.'s work on a daily basis, informs AVOCATS.BE's bodies, and ensures that its positions are relayed at expert meetings and within the C.C.B.E.'s decision-making bodies: plenary sessions and standing committees.

Collaboration with other European bars

The representation office maintains privileged relationships with other European bars through meetings on topics of common interest, the organization of joint events, or informal gatherings.