European Union – Reference to European Court. Article 3(2) of Directive (EC) 98/5 should be interpreted as precluding national legislation which, on account of the incompatibility under that legislation between the status of monk and practice of the profession of lawyer, prohibited a lawyer who had the status of monk, and who was registered as a lawyer with the competent authority of the home member state, from registering with the competent authority of the host member state in order to practise there under his home-country professional title. The Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union so held in a preliminary ruling in proceedings concerning the refusal by the respondent Athens Bar Association, Greece, to grant the applicant monk's application to be entered on the special register of the Athens Bar as a lawyer practising under his home-country professional title.