Lawyers should be more centrally involved in efforts to implement European Union (EU) legislation, a government-commissioned report said last week.

The report - which was written by former government lawyer Robin Bellis - set out seven recommendations for better implementation for EU law.

These included the establishment of an EU-level body of lawyers with drafting expertise, to be appointed by each member state; project teams - including lawyers - to work in the UK on draft European directives; and the creation of drafting expertise units within government legal departments.

Civil servants joining such departments should also be trained in drafting by the Government Legal Service.

The report also proposed that a central unit of language experts should be set up in Whitehall, to provide all government departments with linguistic analyses of EU legislation where required.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: 'This study provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on ways to improve implementation.

Of particular interest are his specific recommendations for improvement.

'This publication should launch a thorough debate on these ideas, both in Whitehall and beyond.'

He added: 'The correct transposition and implementation of EU legislation is easily overlooked by those outside the legal profession.

Yet it has a major impact on our businesses and our global competitiveness.'

Edward Solomons, the deputy Official Solicitor and Public Trustee and the representative of the Government Legal Service on the Law Society Council, said: 'This constitutes a valuable contribution to the debate as to the better drafting of legislation.

'European legislation has the unique feature that it has to cater to common law and civil code jurisdictions, and to cope with 20 languages in the centres of implementation.

Any process by which clarity is provided for the end-user of law must be welcomed.'

Jeremy Fleming