BRUSSELS (AFP) – The European Commission on Wednesday said it would sue Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece and Luxembourg before an EU court for only allowing their own nationals to practise as notaries.

The European Union’s executive arm said the restrictions run “contrary to the freedom of establishment” required under EU rules, and could not be justified by exemptions related to exercising official authority.

It said that dropping the nationality requirement would neither change the status of notaries nor prevent the state from regulating the profession through such measures as exams.

The Commission also decided to haul Portugal before an EU court for its failure to bring EU rules on notaries into its national legislation.

[Copyright AFP 2007]

Subject: Belgian news