Brussels, 11/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - Following the publication on Monday of the report by the Commission on "competition in professional services", the Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the European Union (CCBE) welcomed the "recognition given in the report to regulation by the professional bodies, and to their role in ensuring the public interest" (EUROPE 10 February p 15). The CCBE president, Hans-Jürgen Hellwig was prudent, however, in connection to the criticism of national regulation often being too rigid, sometimes obsolete and hampering competition. He noted that the CCBE had to have time for debating with other Bar members before forming a more detailed opinion on the legal analysis contained in the report, which at first glance appeared to "depart in significant respects from the established case law of the Court of Justice". The CCBE represents more 500,000 European lawyer members of the Bar and Law Society.