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Lawyers Establishment Directive

Volume 407: debated on Monday 16 June 2003

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To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date each member of the European Union implemented the Lawyers Establishment Directive 98/5/EC; and what representations he has made about the continuing failure of France to implement it. [118221]

The dates on which Directive 98/5/EC was implemented by the various states of the European Union are as follows:

Date
Austria23 May 2000
Denmark7 April 2000
Finland1 January 2000
Germany14 March 2000
Greece23 May 2000
Italy18 January 2000
Spain5 August 2001
Sweden1 January 2000
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal have yet to complete formal implementation procedures. Neither France nor Ireland has yet embarked on the process.Continuing representations made by and on behalf of the legal profession have, with the co-operation of the Paris Bar, secured certain of the benefits which associated with implementation of the Directive. In the light of this and of the action taken by the European Commission, before the European Court of Justice, the Government have taken the view that separate representations from them would not add anything at the present time; however we are continuing to monitor the position.