Request for a preliminary ruling from the Symvoulio tis Epikrateias (Greece) lodged on 17 July 2017 — Monachos Eirinaios (Brother Eirinaios), lay name Antonios Giakoumakis v Dikigorikos Syllogos Athinon

(Case C-431/17)

Language of the case: Greece

Referring court

Symvoulio tis Epikrateias

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Monachos Eirinaios (Brother Eirinaios), lay name Antonios Giakoumakis

Defendant: Dikigorikos Syllogos Athinon

Question referred

Is Article 3 of Directive 98/5/EC ¹ to be interpreted as meaning that the registration of a monk of the Church of Greece as a lawyer, with the competent authority of a Member State other than that in which he obtained his professional qualification, in order for him to practise there under his home-country professional title, may be prohibited by the national legislature on the ground that monks of the Church of Greece cannot, under national law, be entered in the registers of bar associations since, on account of that status possessed by them, they do not provide certain guarantees necessary for practice as a lawyer?

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¹ Directive 98/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis in a Member State other than that in which the qualification was obtained (OJ 1998 L 77, p. 36).