The extension of the requirements laid down in the money laundering directive to cover lawyers as a matter of principle has given rise to doubts as to whether the complete confidentiality of the information communicated to a lawyer is still guaranteed. This question is all the more relevant because in individual cases a client at least may find it difficult to draw a distinction between a lawyer's financial service-related activities, pursuant to the list in Article 2(1)(3)(b), and the act of providing legal advice, which is covered by lawyer-client privilege. Under these circumstances, it is particularly worrying that the protection of ...[+++]professional confidentiality should not be a binding requirement, but has instead been left to the discretion of the Member States.

If the contesting party is not resident in the Contracting State in which the declaration or registration was made or refused, the challenge or appeal shall be lodged within 60 days of notification.

(5) The applicant and the respondent shall be promptly notified of the declaration or registration, made under paragraphs 2 and 3, or the refusal thereof in accordance with paragraph 4, and may bring a challenge or appeal on fact and on a point of law.

22 For its part, the Commission does not accept that the Court of First Instance was bound to inform the appellants, before expiry of the period laid down by Community law for the bringing of an action for annulment, that the first application signed by two Turkish lawyers did not comply with the formal requirements laid down in Articles 19 and 21 of the Statute of the Court of Justice and contends accordingly that the action had not properly been brought before the Court of First Instance.

the wealth of documentation concerning points (a) and (b) provided (partly at the European Union's instigation) by various international and independent agencies, which has already prompted unambiguous international reactions, including from the European Parliament, although these have not resulted in any change of direction by the Italian Government with regard to this contentious issue.

These contradictions are very serious, they are still unresolved and this is why we see the existence of Article 228, which was brought in by the Maastricht Treaty, as wholly contestable.