Romania's Competition Council opposes minimum fees for lawyers

Romania’s Competition Council has recommended the Parliament to remove the minimum fees for lawyers, which have been included in a draft law recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The law represents “a step backwards” and the consumer will be disadvantaged, according to the Council, reports local Mediafax. “We recommend the removal of any intervention in the market by setting minimum fees for services provided by lawyers, one of the most severe ways of restricting competition,” reads the Competition Council’s letter. Such a provision that establishes minimum fees for lawyers had also existed in 2004, but it was later removed, following the Competition Council’s efforts. The negative effects of that provision have long remained in the market, said the Competition Council president Bogdan Chiritoiu. editor@romania-insider.com