Finland and Sweden report on fourth anti-money laundering directive (2015/849) impact

The implementation of the fourth anti-money laundering directive (2015/849) is one of the common themes this year, and how it impacts each bar. Both Finland and Sweden report, for instance, that the proposed sanctions regime of their governments under the national implementing provisions will take away the sanctioning of lawyers in some respects from the bar’s own disciplinary process, and that they have intervened strongly to try to maintain their bar’s independence.

The refugee crisis is another common topic. A number of the bars have been participating in the ‘European Lawyers in Lesvos’ project run by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the German Bar Association (DAV). The project’s main aim is to send European lawyers to the island of Lesvos to support Greek lawyers in the provision of legal assistance to migrants requiring international protection.