Fédération des barreaux d’Europe
Editorial : The Federation needs the Bars, just as Europe needs Lawyers
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The congress which has been held at BRUGES was remarkable both for the quality of work done and the friendly social exchanges, concluding with the traditional election for the presidency.
I have had both the honour and the pleasure to be elected President of the Federation by the Chairmen of the different Bars or their representatives.
There is no shortage of work which needs to be done.
Europe is developing a series of major projects which are of direct concern to us. In the first place I would like to mention the deregulation of the legal profession, which is intended to open it to competition but lacks consideration for the professional code of ethics and the safeguarding of the client’s interests. I must also mention proposals for an e-justice strategy, work concerning the publication of a consumer directive to which the legal profession must comply and discussions about the creation of an “European notarial act” which will be valid in every member state of the Union, benefitting the legal profession .
On all of these matters, Lawyers must be heard. They must be consulted, give their opinion and convince the people they are addressing of its pertinence.
We intend to rise to this challenge. A real mobilisation is necessary in the committees of the European Bars Federation.
We ourselves must succeed in our projects and think over the harmonisation of the rules about the professional code of ethics, starting with the rules about conflict of interest.
We should also reflect about the elaboration of the Stockholm programme ; the action programme for the years 2010 to 2014, on which the Commission is now engaged. Officially it is a question of developing an area of liberty, security and justice. However, in this programme the police are visible everywhere and justice is nowhere to be seen.
The Federation, that is to say all European Bars, should make their contribution to improving this programme taking into account the interests of every person in the relevant jurisdictions, of their advisors and their attorneys.
I am inviting our Member Bars to participate in this work. It is useful to deepen and broaden reflection and discussion within the Federation so that as a result the point of view of the Presidents of national and local Bar Associations shall be clearly taken into account by European Institutions.
Europe is a day to day reality. By having the protagonists of European law and justice collaborate closely we can manage to meet the challenge of a real Union, taking the daily life of our citizens into account.
Michel Benichou