Despite objections from some Members of the European Parliament, lawyers are covered by the amended text of the controversial European Union (EU) Services Directive, following recent political agreement between EU ministers. The so-called Bolkestein Directive has undergone substantial changes since the original proposal in 2004, with the European Parliament making more than 200 amendments.
The aim of the proposal was to improve the effectiveness of two fundamental principles enshrined in the European Community (EC) Treaty – freedom of establishment (article 43) and the free movement of services (article 49).
