On the 11th November 2017, the General Assembly of the FBE, which represents 250 member bars and ther 800.000 member lawyers, expressed its continuing concerns for the situation of lawyers and judges in Easten Europe, notably Romania, Poland, Serbia, and Bulgaria recognising the threat to the independence of lawyers, judges, prosecutors and administration of justice, as a result of government policies and the intervention of politicians concerning the appointment, regulation and dismissal of judges, interference in the prosecution service and restrictions on the rights of lawyers representing their clients.
