Created in 1960, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) is the officially recognised representative organisation for the legal profession in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The CCBE is incorporated in Belgium as an international non-profit-making association.
The CCBE liaises between the Bars and Law Societies from the Members States of the European Union and the European Economic Area. It represents all such Bars and Law Societies before the European institutions, and through them more than 700,000 European lawyers.
The CCBE enjoys consultative status with the Council of Europe.
Full members
The CCBE consists of 31 delegations whose Members are nominated by regulatory bodies of the Bars and Law Societies in the 27 Member States and the 3 member countries of the European Economic Area (Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland), together with Switzerland.
Observer members
The Bars of Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine are represented by Observer delegations. On their joining the CCBE in this capacity, the observer member delegations sign a model convention binding the CCBE and them, under which they ensure that their members respect the CCBE Code of Conduct.
The objectives of the CCBE are :
To represent the Bars and Law Societies of its Members, whether full or observer members, on all matters of mutual interest relating to the exercise of the profession of the lawyer, the development of the law and practice pertaining to the rule of law and administration of justice and substantive developments in the law itself, both at a European and international level.
To act as a consultative and intermediary body between its Members, whether full or observer members, and between the Members and the institutions of the European Union and the European Economic Area on all cross border matters of mutual interest as listed under a) above.
To monitor actively the defence of the rule of law, the protection of the fundamental and human rights and freedoms, including the right of access to justice and protection of the client, and the protection of the democratic values inextricably associated with such rights.
There is a Permanent Delegation to the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance of the European Communities and to the EFTA Court.
