The DBF represents the National Bar Council, the Paris Bar, and conference of Bar Associations Presidents to the European institutions. Located in the European quarter in Brussels, the DBF and its team provides four main services to French lawyers and the French Bar, related to the European institutions: lobbying, training, legal assistance, documentation and publishing legal information about European law.
Lobbying campaigns within the European Union
The Delegation of French Bars (DBF) carries out lobbying campaigns directed at European institutions and organizations:
- it defends the interests and values of the profession within the European Union
- it represents French lawyers to the European institutions: the European Commission, the Council of the EU, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights.
- it has regular meetings with the French permanent representation at the European Union.
- it provides a permanent legal watch service and becomes involved in the decision-making processes of the European institutions.
- it provides support to the French Delegation to the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).
- it maintains close links to the Brussels Bar and the Bar delegations of other Member states in Brussels.
Regular training activities
The DBF organizes training days in Brussels intended for all French lawyers.
- The "European conversations" take place over a full day and deal in a pragmatic way with current topics of interest.
- The speakers are senior officials in the European institutions, magistrates and European lawyers.
- These training days which qualify as continuous training days, offer participants an opportunity to create contacts directly with senior officials and magistrates within the European Union.
It also takes part in training, both initial and continuous, provided by the Regional Centers for professional training for lawyers (CRFPA) and the Orders and provides them with the necessary teaching aids.
Specialist publications
L’ Europe en bref
L'Europe en Bref (Europe in Brief) is a weekly legal information newsletter that includes the latest developments in European law. This electronic newsletter is sent free-of-charge by email, or can be downloaded from the DBF website.
L’ Observateur de Bruxelles (The Brussels Observer)
L'Observateur de Bruxelles is a quarterly law review of European Union law. In each edition it offers: a "Special report" devoted to a current topic | some "Note on ..." background articles which analyze a current topic | a section called "European Union legal news" which is a round-up of recent legal and political events over the last three months.
The articles are written by senior officials from the European and national institutions, by lawyers, universities and the DBF team.
Documentation and legal support in the area of European law
As a large part of French legislation is of European origin, the DBF provides lawyers with the texts and the case law they need for their work.
The Delegation of French Bars can offer lawyers research support on request, for any question relating to European Union law
We have set up a new online service for legal support for French lawyers, for any questions relating to European Union law. We can talk to lawyers and explain to them, if they ask, the regulatory texts and jurisprudence which they need during their work, and carry out in-depth legal studies intended to help them draft documents for their meetings and pleadings, create useful contacts with the European officials involved.