HARMONIZATION OF THE LEGAL ETHICS IN THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS

Leposava Ognjanoska, LL.M. PhD Candidate /Ss.Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Law "Iustinianus Primus" - Skopje

Lawyers are essential for the appreciation and application of the rule of law, so the legal profession requires fulfillment of the highest ethical standards for professional conduct. The continued European Integration process and the increasing frequency of the cross-border activities of lawyers made necessary the statement of common rules of legal ethics to mitigate the difficulties that arise from the “double deontology”. The core ethical principles developed within the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe express the common ground of otherwise various and divergent legal systems in Europe.
The development of the European legal ethics contributes the sharing of European values and gaining the European identity, while at the same time it promotes the status of the legal profession and protects its independence. Hence, the process of harmonization of the legal ethics is very significant in the context of the European Integration, especially ‘integration through law’. Adoption of the legal ethics rules is also necessary for effective exercise by the lawyers of the freedom to provide services, as one of the four bases of the EU internal market. These principles are also part of the content of the Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights of EU acquis, which has become the key to EU accession.
The aim of this paper is to examine the harmonization of legal ethics in Europe and its significance in the context of the European integration, by analyzing the Charter of Core Principles of the European Legal Profession and the Code of Conduct for European Lawyers as the main instruments of this process, thus contributing to harmonization of the legal ethics in our country with the European standards.
Key Words: Legal ethics, Harmonization, European Integration, EU Internal Market.