Request for a preliminary ruling from the Grondwettelijk Hof (Belgium) lodged on 21 December 2020 — Orde van Vlaamse Balies, IG, Belgian Association of Tax Lawyers, CD, JU v Vlaamse Regering

(Case C-694/20)

(2021/C 128/13)

Language of the case: Dutch

Referring court

Grondwettelijk Hof

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Orde van Vlaamse Balies, IG, Belgian Association of Tax Lawyers, CD, JU

Defendant: Vlaamse Regering

Question referred

Does Article 1(2) of Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 (1) of 25 May 2018 amending Directive 2011/16/EU as regards mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements infringe the right to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the right to respect for private life as guaranteed by Article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in that the new Article 8ab(5) which it inserted in Council Directive 2011/16/EU (2) of 15 February 2011 on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation and repealing Directive 77/799/EEC, provides that, where a Member State takes the necessary measures to give intermediaries the right to waiver from filing information on a reportable cross-border arrangement where the reporting obligation would breach the legal professional privilege under the national law of that Member State, that Member State is obliged to require the intermediaries to notify, without delay, any other intermediary or, if there is no such intermediary, the relevant taxpayer, of their reporting obligations, in so far as the effect of that obligation is to oblige a lawyer acting as an intermediary to share with another intermediary, not being his client, information which he obtains in the course of the essential activities of his profession, namely, representing or defending clients in legal proceedings and giving legal advice, even in the absence of pending legal proceedings?

(1)  OJ 2018 L 139, p. 1.

(2)  OJ 2011 L 64, p. 1.