CELEX: C2007/199/08
Language: en
Date: 2007-08-25 00:00:00
Title: Case C-305/05: Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 26 June 2007 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage) (Belgium)) — Ordre des barreaux francophones and germanophone, Ordre français des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles, Ordre des barreaux flamands, Ordre néerlandais des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles v Conseil des Ministres (Directive 91/308/EEC — Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering — Obligation on lawyers to inform the competent authorities of any fact which might be an indication of money laundering — Right to a fair trial — Professional secrecy and the independence of lawyers)

25.8.2007   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 199/6
            
         Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 26 June 2007 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage) (Belgium)) — Ordre des barreaux francophones and germanophone, Ordre français des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles, Ordre des barreaux flamands, Ordre néerlandais des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles v Conseil des Ministres
   (Case C-305/05) (1)
   
   (Directive 91/308/EEC - Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering - Obligation on lawyers to inform the competent authorities of any fact which might be an indication of money laundering - Right to a fair trial - Professional secrecy and the independence of lawyers)
   (2007/C 199/08)
   Language of the case: French
   Referring court
   Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage)
   Parties to the main proceedings
   
      Applicants: Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone, Ordre français des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles, Ordre des barreaux flamands, Ordre néerlandais des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles
   
      Defendant: Conseil des Ministres
   
      Intervening parties: Conseil des barreaux de l'Union européenne, Ordre des avocats du barreau de Liège
   Re:
   Reference for a preliminary ruling — Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage) — Validity of Article 1(2) of Directive 2001/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 December 2001 amending Council Directive 91/308/EEC on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering (OJ 2001 L 344, p. 76) — Right to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Article 6(2) of the Treaty on European Union — Principles of professional secrecy and the independence of lawyers — Obligation on lawyers to inform the authorities responsible for the fight against money laundering of any fact which might be an indication of such laundering
   Operative part of the judgment
   The obligations of information and of cooperation with the authorities responsible for combating money laundering, laid down in Article 6(1) of Council Directive 91/308/EEC of 10 June 1991 on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering, as amended by Directive 2001/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 December 2001, and imposed on lawyers by Article 2a(5) of Directive 91/308, account being taken of the second subparagraph of Article 6(3) thereof, do not infringe the right to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Article 6(2) EU.
   
      (1)  OJ C 243, 1.10.2005.