Website: Competition policy and professional services

Professional services include areas such as law, accountancy, and real estate. Often referred to as liberal professions, they can generally be defined as occupations requiring special training in the arts or sciences. They form an integral part of the EU economy and provide an essential service both for business and consumers, therefore having knock-on effects on the competitiveness of other sectors.

The Commission’s role is to examine whether the current regulation of the sector, often set by national governments, is the most efficient and least restrictive of competition, or whether better regulation, more adapted to the modern world could help spur economic growth, and deliver better services and value for consumers, in line with the objectives set by the Lisbon Strategy. The Commission’s work focuses on six professions: lawyers, notaries, accountants, architects, engineers and pharmacists.