The Director-General of the Legal Service is the Commission’s legal adviser.
Under the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, consultation of the Legal Service is compulsory on all drafts or proposals for legal instruments and on all documents which may have legal implications. The Director-General accordingly sits in at all Commission meetings in his capacity as legal adviser to the Commission. It is his job also to highlight all legal aspects and problems arising from items on the Commission’s agenda. The Commission generally follows his legal advice.
The Director-General of the Legal Service is also empowered by the Commission to designate the agents to act for it in the courts. In the most important cases, the Director-General himself represents the Commission in the Court of Justice.