The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)

Conseil des Barreaux européens

The CCBE is an international organisation which represents more than one million European lawyers through the Bars and Law Societies of 32 member countries and 13 further associate and observer countries. The CCBE has been advancing the views of the European lawyers, defending the legal principles upon which democracy and the rule of law are based for the last 50 years. The CCBE has regular institutional contacts with the European Commission officials as well as the members of the European Parliament who deal with issues affecting the legal profession. It also has a permanent delegation at the European Court of Justice as well as the European Court of Human Rights. Each member Bar of the CCBE is represented by a single delegation, even though in its territory there might be more than one self-governing bodies of lawyers. The CCBE works through its Plenary Sessions, held twice a year and making the most important decisions, as well as through its Standing Committee, which meets five times a year and adopts position papers and guidelines on issues relevant to the legal profession. The CCBE is also made of the Presidency, which consists of the President and three Vice-Presidents, as well as various committees and working groups, which develop draft positions, guidelines, recommendations and suggestions. Administrative support is provided by the Secretariat.

Headquarters:

Rue Joseph II, 40
1000 Bruxelles
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0) 2 234 65 10
Fax: +32 (0) 2 234 65 11/12
www.ccbe.eu