14/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament and the Council will seek to reach an agreement on money laundering during the conciliation meeting to be held in Brussels on 18 September. During the plenary session in April, the EP had amended the Council's common position by enlarging the notion of confidentiality pertaining to lawyers. This point was the cause of major divergence within the Council, between the majority of the Member States on one hand and the Germans and the Austrians on the other, who insisted on the discretion that they believe is essential within the law profession. After the subject of takeover bids, this question brings into opposition yet again the German CDU member, Klaus-Heiner Lene, EP Rapporteur on money laundering, and Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, who had announced at the Parliament's plenary session that the Commission could not accept the amendment on confidentiality.