UNBA office opens in EU capital

To strengthen the institutional presence of the Ukrainian advocacy community at the European level, an office of the Ukrainian National Bar Association has been opened in Brussels (Belgium), which will serve as a permanent platform for dialogue with European partners.

The President of the UNBA Lidiya Izovitova and the Vice President of the UNBA, BCU Valentin Gvozdiy took part in the opening ceremony on January 28.

It is expected that the opening of the UNBA office will contribute to more effective communication with EU institutions, in particular with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy (DG ENEST), in the context of Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

On the same day, the UNBA delegation took part in a meeting of European advocacy association leaders. In addition to the President of the UNBA, BCU, representatives of the German Federal Bar Association (BRAK), the General Council of the Bar of England and Wales, the Austrian Bar Association (ÖRAK), the Association of Flemish Bar Associations (OVB), The advocacy associations of Belgium and Luxembourg, the Czech Bar Association (ČAK), and the Polish Association of Legal Advisers (KIRP).

During the meeting, there was a discussion on current challenges for the legal profession in Europe. Key topics included: attorney-client privilege in light of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Černý and Others v. the Czech Republic, financial monitoring, the use of artificial intelligence in the work of advocates, and other issues of special professional and ethical regulation. The participants also discussed best practices for admission to the profession, disciplinary responsibility, elections to bar self-government bodies, and professional development.

At the end of the meeting, the participants shared their thoughts on the ratification of the Council of Europe's Convention on the protection of the profession of advocate.

UNBA representatives informed their colleagues about the status of implementation of the Roadmap on the rule of law, approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 475-r of May 14, 2025, its goals and measures in terms of reforming the advocacy profession. European partners were invited to join in the exchange of experience, in particular regarding the implementation of European standards in the field of advocacy, disciplinary procedures, and professional education.