The Brussels Office
The Bar Council’s Brussels office, run by member of the Bar Evanna Fruithof, has been the Bar Council's eyes, ears and mouthpiece in our relations with the EU institutions since 1999. The office’s primary role is to track and seek to influence EU law and policy developments that may have an impact on law and legal practice in England & Wales.
Key contact
Evanna Fruithof, Consultant Director
Evanna Fruithof was called to the Bar in 1985. She practiced from chambers in 6 Pump Court, London, until her 1990 move to Brussels. During 1990 and 1991 she worked in DG Competition, European Commission, for most of that time within its then newly created Merger Task Force. From 1992 to 1994, Evanna worked as a Competition lawyer for Freshfields Solicitors, in both their London and Brussels offices. Evanna also spent a couple of years as Events Manager and Deputy Director of a Brussels-based EU political think-tank.
She was appointed to establish the Bar Council’s Brussels Office in 1999, from which date she has held her current position as its Consultant Director, providing this service through her own consultancy company. She is the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of the Bar in Brussels, organising, attending and on occasion, speaking at meetings and events on its behalf, and giving evidence to external inquiries.
Evanna has run the Bar’s EU Law Committee since its founding in 2003 and is a member of the Bar’s Future Relationship (formerly Brexit Working) Group, the Bar European Group and the European Circuit. Evanna is regularly invited to speak at events organised by these and other SBAs. She develops the Bar’s Brussels office newsletter, Brussels News, and is an occasional contributor to other Bar publications.
Evanna was made a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2015.