Brussels, 21/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - In a press release (see EUROPE of 20 September, p.11), the European Parliament's rapporteur for the money laundering Directive, Klaus Heiner-Lehne, described the behaviour of the Council's representatives at a conciliation meeting as "both arrogant and ignorant". He said that the "Council of Ministers rejected all attempts at compromise and insisted that its position be adopted without modification". But the MEP explains that the Council's common position (that wants lawyers to be required, along with other professional advisers, to inform the authorities of any suspicion that a client is attempting to launder money) "endangers the right of the citizen to seek advice and defend themselves, rights which are enshrined in the European Charter for Fundamental Human Rights".
The President of the ECOFIN Council, Didier Reynders, has proposed accepting all Parliament's amendments except the one concerning lawyers. The European Commission also insists on this point, with a spokesperson for the Internal Market Commissioner saying that the former Italian Finance Minister (who is a former judge) said at one Council meeting that he had never come across any money laundering case where lawyers had not been involved. The issue of money laundering will be on the agenda of the Friday Eurogroup meeting and the ECOFIN Council on Saturday, as part of the discussions over measures to fighting against terrorism.