Defending the rule of law and human rights, ensuring access to justice, and upholding the independence and ethical standards of lawyers and their bar associations

In an exclusive interview with the Cyprus Mail, President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), Roman Završek, explores the CCBE’s Standing Committee’s future aims, which will convene in Limassol on March 27.

For readers who may not be familiar with it: What is the CCBE and whom does it represent?

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) is the recognised voice of the European legal profession. It brings together the bars and law societies of 46 countries and, through them, represents more than one million lawyers. Our core mission is to defend the rule of law and human rights, ensure access to justice, and uphold the independence and ethical standards of lawyers and their bar associations. The day‑to‑day work is undertaken by 26 committees and working groups supported by a CCBE Secretariat based in Brussels and is steered by two decision-making bodies: the Standing Committee which is composed of the heads of the national delegations to the CCBE and meets four times a year and the Plenary Session which comprises of the full national delegations to the CCBE and meets twice a year.

What are your goals for the CCBE during your presidency?

Three priorities guide our work in 2026:

Rule of law and access to justice. We will continue to contribute practice‑based evidence to the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report, ensuring the everyday realities of courts, clients and lawyers are reflected in EU assessments. We provide a unique perspective in this regard, as the CCBE’s contribution helps to ensure that the Commission’s Rule of Law Report reflects operational realities from our perspective.

Protection of the profession. We are actively promoting the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer – a landmark, binding instrument that codifies safeguards against intimidation, surveillance and interference; it also requires fair, independent and proportionate disciplinary systems and recognises the role of self‑governing bars.

Capacity and resilience. We advocate long‑term EU support for lawyer training (comparable to programmes for judges and prosecutors) in the next Multiannual Financial Framework and back human‑centred digitalisation of justice, including clear guard‑rails for data access and AI.

These themes are mirrored in the agenda for our Limassol Standing Committee: from a draft interpretative note on Article 70 of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation and a technical guide on generative AI, to a paper on innovation in legal services and a proposal for a EU supported funding model for the training of lawyers.

What is the role of the CCBE within the European institutional framework, and how does it interact with EU institutions?

The CCBE is the structured bridge between national bars and EU institutions. We feed legal expertise and frontline insights into legislative and policy processes of the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, and we engage with the Court of Justice of the EU, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Our outputs span position papers, practical guidance, deontological recommendations, and—in appropriate cases—interventions before courts. A practical example is our contribution to cross‑border justice tools, our sustained work on fair trial rights. and additionally, our continuous efforts to ensure an understanding of the importance of the core values of the profession, including the need to uphold professional secrecy and the independence of the profession.

In today’s climate, where the rule of law and judicial independence face challenges in parts of Europe, what is the core mission of the CCBE?

Our mission is simple and non‑negotiable: the rule of law must not become the casualty of the fight against crime. Freedom and security are interdependent; both collapse if legal safeguards are eroded. That is why the CCBE consistently defends access to an independent lawyer, lawyer–client confidentiality, the presumption of innocence, judicial independence, proportionality and effective remedies—structural guarantees that make investigations lawful, evidence reliable and convictions sustainable.

From our recent statements and surveys, we also call out concrete risks that chill advocacy: threats and intimidation, smear campaigns, online harassment, and the instrumentalisation of disciplinary proceedings to deter representation in sensitive cases. We insist on clear safeguards for searches and seizures in law offices and safeguards for law‑enforcement access to digital data, anchored in legality, strict necessity, proportionality, prior judicial authorisation and effective remedies in order to prevent violations of professional secrecy which the Court of Justice of the European Union has long linked to defence rights and the sound administration of justice.

Could you briefly explain what the Standing Committee is and why it is such an important body within the CCBE structure?

The Standing Committee convenes heads of national delegations to take policy decisions and adopt positions across the CCBE’s portfolio. It is the engine room that aligns 46 countries on fast‑moving files. At Limassol (27 March 2026), the agenda includes:

  • formal approval of Vienna minutes and the 2025 accounts;
  • follow‑up on the CCBE’s strategic objectives 2025–2030 (including a checklist for committees’ topic selections);
  • communications (European Lawyers’ Day 2026 theme; 2025 Annual Report); and
  • a full docket of substantive papers for approval (Rule of Law contribution; AML Article 70 note; AI/Data “Digital Omnibus” positions; a generative‑AI technical guide; innovation in legal services; long‑term EU financing for lawyer training; deontology input on the Whistleblowers Directive; an ECHR enforcement‑costs paper; and an environment/deontology scoping item on “client emissions”).

These are also examples of the wide range of issues which our 26 Committees deal with.

What are the main issues expected to be discussed at the upcoming Standing Committee meeting in Cyprus?

Beyond the files already mentioned, the Limassol programme features welcoming remarks by Dr. Nicholas A. Ioannides, Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, and surrounding committee activities (for example, the Permanent Delegation to the European Court of Human Rights; Criminal Law Committee).

Substantively, three clusters will dominate:

Protection of the profession & rule‑of‑law resilience—approval of the CCBE Rule of Law Report 2026 submission (which will be sent to the European Commission) and a Statement on the Protection of international law and justice.

Digitalisation, data and AI—positions on the Commission’s Digital Omnibus (AI & Data) packages and a CCBE technical guide on generative AI to support safe, ethical deployment in practice.

Training & sustainable financing—a proposal on long‑term EU financing of lawyer training to build capacity across all Member States.

The Cyprus Bar Association is an active member of the CCBE. How would you describe its participation and contribution within the organisation?

The Cyprus Bar Association is a highly engaged partner that actively contributes to the work of the CCBE in multiple aspects… Its representatives consistently bring forward innovative ideas and foster constructive dialogue, helping to shape policy positions on some of the most pressing challenges facing the legal profession across Europe. The Association’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and defending professional values is reflected in its active participation in Committees and working groups, its championing of lawyer training initiatives, and its advocacy for ethical standards in the context of digitalisation and new technologies.

The Cyprus Bar’s presence in the CCBE enriches the collective debate with its steadfast commitment to European collaboration. Its willingness to host pivotal meetings, such as the Limassol Standing Committee, showcases its dedication to fostering inter-bar cooperation and promoting a united approach to legal challenges at both the European and international level. In every aspect, the Cyprus Bar Association proves itself to be not only an indispensable voice but also a driving force for progress within the CCBE community.

Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Does this add particular significance to the Standing Committee taking place here?

Yes. The Cyprus Presidency’s motto—“An Autonomous Union. Open to the World.”—resonates strongly with our files. “Autonomy” in justice requires independent courts and lawyers, resilient due‑process safeguards, and well‑financed justice systems in order to ensure public trust. Our Limassol agenda advances that: we are consolidating profession‑protection norms, setting data/AI guard‑rails that keep technology ethical and human‑centred, and pressing for stable EU funding of lawyer training to make rights effective in practice.

Finally, what message would you like to convey to the legal profession in Cyprus ahead of this important meeting?

Thank you for your steady work defending rights and ensuring access to justice. This is a moment to remain vocal and united. As I have said elsewhere: “Security without freedom becomes control; freedom without security is fragile—and both collapse when the rule of law is weakened.” Our profession’s duty is to ensure that in confronting modern, transnational and technologically‑sophisticated crime, we do not abandon the principles that legitimise our institutions. That means insisting on independent defence, confidentiality, proportionality, judicial oversight of data access, and effective remedies; it means speaking up when disciplinary systems or public discourse are misused to intimidate lawyers; and it means implementing the new Council of Europe Convention as the backbone of a safer, freer practice across Europe.

If we ever trade those principles away “in the name of security”, we will have secured nothing worth protecting. Let Limassol be the place where we move from principle to practical implementation—on the Convention, on training, and on digital justice that is lawful, fair and human‑centred.

In this context, the evolving geopolitical landscape serves as a stark reminder of the crucial role played by the legal profession in preserving democratic principles and societal cohesion.

Recent political developments have placed Cyprus at the centre of heightened international tensions, following the American attack on Iran and Iran’s subsequent counterattack on military bases in Cyprus. These events have brought new challenges for the country, testing its resilience and underscoring the vital importance of upholding the rule of law and democratic values even in times of geopolitical uncertainty. The legal profession in Cyprus is called upon, now more than ever, to safeguard justice and fundamental rights, ensuring that the response to such crises remains anchored in legality, proportionality, and respect for international law.

In these challenging times, the unwavering dedication of the Cyprus Bar Association and the wider legal profession remains the cornerstone of justice, democracy, and social trust. Together, by upholding the rule of law and fostering international collaboration, we ensure that our institutions remain resilient and our values endure for generations to come.

 

Roman Završek

Attorney-at-Law | Specialist in Civil, Commercial & Human Rights Law, President, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), Former President, Slovenian Bar Association

Roman Završek, born in Ljubljana in 1972, is a practicing attorney with over two decades of experience in civil, commercial, and human rights law. He holds a Master of Science in Law (M.Sc) from the University of Ljubljana, with a focus on the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time. The Slovenian Bar Association recognizes him as a specialist in civil and commercial law and human rights law.

He began his career at Telekom Slovenije and went on to serve as a legal adviser at the European Court of Human Rights. Since 2005, he has led his own law practice after the acquisition of another law firm he is now Senior Partner and Director at Law firm Završek & Šnajder LLC in Ljubljana.

He was President of the Slovenian Bar Association for three successive terms from 2012 to 2021, where he led significant reforms and represented Slovenian lawyers at the CCBE, IBA, and UIA. Under his leadership, the Slovenian Bar Association was awarded the Golden Order of Merit, the highest national honour, by the President of Slovenia.

At the European level, Završek chaired the CCBE’s PECO Committee and currently serves as its President, playing a key role in legal cooperation and policy development across Europe.

As a Council of Europe legal expert, he has advised on bar association and legislative reforms in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and other Eastern European jurisdictions. For his contributions to the advancement of legal professions, he has received the highest awards from several national bar associations, including in Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro as well as many regional Bars, Bar Association of Vojvodina, Republic of Srpska Bar Association and some others.

Završek frequently lectures on human rights law, legal ethics, and the European Court of Human Rights, and has authored numerous articles in these fields. He has participated in key international legal conferences and led national and regional initiatives to strengthen the independence and digitalisation of the legal profession.