Lawyers welcome opportunity to brush up on their Euro-law

Date: 20/11/1997

By Rory Watson

A MULTI-million-ecu programme will be launched next year to increase awareness among lawyers throughout the Union of the importance of European law.

The three-year project follows a European Commission-sponsored survey in which 67% of lawyers questioned in the 15 member states admitted they had insufficient knowledge of EU law.

Yet, at the same time, four out of five recognised that a minimum understanding of EU legislation and European Court judgements was essential for their jobs. "There are some exceptions, but frankly the average national practitioner is badly informed about European law and in particular how it can be used to protect clients' interests," said one Brussels-based lawyer.

After receiving the full support of MEPs last month, the three-year, 5.6-million-ecu Robert Schuman programme - named after one of the Union's founding fathers - is set for final approval next year and will be up and running before the new 1 January 1999 target date for completion of the internal market.

With the Union's attention now focused more on the effective implementation of existing rules, rather than on the introduction of a raft of new legislation, the Commission is keen to raise awareness of EU issues among national lawyers and judges. It sees this as an effective way of ensuring the optimum application of Union rules in general, and of internal market legislation in particular.

The programme, based on the experience of 40 pilot projects launched earlier this year, will offer EU funding to set up specific training courses, encourage the establishment of new sources of information and help to create Community law networks between judges and lawyers.

While the Commission initially targeted the awareness-raising initiative at the 100,000 or so judges and 450,000 lawyers in the Union, the European Parliament last month broadened its remit to include "professionals involved in the administration of justice, ie judges, prosecutors and lawyers".

Spanish lawyer and Christian Democrat MEP Ana Palacio Vallelersundi, who prepared the Parliament's report, insisted that the projects should focus on practical, not academic training, and concentrate on the actual implementation of EU law in member states since this was the area where the gaps were most glaring.

The programme will complement a number of similar schemes already operating in other areas. These include the Leonardo da Vinci programme implementing an EU vocational training policy and the Grotius scheme of incentives and exchanges to enable lawyers to study the law, languages and legal systems of other member states.

Practising lawyers have welcomed the initiative, but believe it could go further. "Practitioners themselves also have to be professional and make sure they learn about EU developments," said Patrick Oliver of the Law Society of England and Wales.

The biggest factor in increasing awareness is likely to be new technology. "The Internet will enable lawyers throughout the Union to be better informed," said one.

Feature on the new Robert Schuman Programme to train lawyers in Europe on the importance and significance of EU law.