France and Ireland have received strong reprimands from the European Commission for their continuing failure to implement the Lawyers Rights of Establishment Directive.

The commission reminded them of their obligation to implement the directive, which allows EU lawyers to practise permanently in any member state using their home title and should have been implemented by 14 March 2000.

Failure to implement the directive could lead to both countries incurring daily fines from the commission.

Ireland and France were both reprimanded by the European Court of Justice in 2002 for their failure to implement the directive (see [2002] Gazette, 19 December, 8).

June O'Keeffe, who heads the Law Society's Brussels office, said this was the most serious reminder that France or Ireland had received.

She said that in France, some bars are currently allowing EU lawyers to register locally, but others are not.