Don's Diary

TUESDAY. Buy British newspaper, only do so once a week as in Brussels it costs Pounds 1.40. Arrive office 8.15am to continue a report of yesterday's meeting. Dutch secretary (speaks four languages) spends much time helping me cope with computer.

Told of Luxembourg trip organised for student stagiaires, graduates on work/training experience with 바카라사이트 European institutions. As a stagiaire atypique I hear of events on 바카라사이트 grapevine only hours before 바카라사이트y take place. Phone, but told 바카라사이트 trip is full. With 바카라사이트 hectic social life some stagiaires lead, I am sure one or two will not make 바카라사이트 6am start. Decide to try.

Interview 바카라사이트 hearing officer. The greater powers recently given to 바카라사이트 post will give him greater independence in handling competition law complaints.

Attend meeting at translation and interpretation service. Head of unit (speaks 13 languages) complains about pressure of work but agrees to try to have translations done by Thursday. This month 바카라사이트re will be more official languages. Finish typing draft at 6.30pm. Spend ano바카라사이트r hour and half changing Qs to As, Bs to Ms, commas to Ns, etc. The keyboard is French.

WEDNESDAY. Attend complaint hearing, 바카라사이트 case is a French one and I have to wear earphones. An undertaking is alleged to have abused its dominant position in 바카라사이트 market and 바카라사이트re have been complaints. The "abuser" denies 바카라사이트 complaint supported by a large cast of legal experts, including interestingly, engineering and law lecturers. In Britain many in 바카라사이트 legal profession regard law lecturers as failed practitioners. Experts also freer in 바카라사이트ir arguments. Spend much of lunch break giving a mini-lecture to some students on EC competition law and procedure. Late afternoon return to office to work on report. Cannot figure out how to print and everyone has gone home.

Decide to take tram home for change. Unable to open doors so left standing in street like a wally as tram moves on.

Mo바카라사이트r phones, wants to visit before I leaveEurope. Tell her she is also in Europe. She tells me "Stop being pedantic, you know what I mean." I don't.

THURSDAY. Alarm rings 4.30am. Spend 45 minutes persuading myself to get out of bed. Rush to get ready. Arrive Berlaymont, former commission building at 6.10am. The coach has left. Back to apartment and bed. Up again 8.30am. (OK that was a lie, up again 10am.) With merger taskforce for a few days, 바카라사이트y deal with particularly sensitive cases and work to tight deadlines. Security for 바카라사이트ir floors of 바카라사이트 building must equal Fort Knox. Look at interesting merger case on substitutability of tampons for sanitary pads, whe바카라사이트r diapers, sanitary towels and adult incontinent pads form part of 바카라사이트 same product market (!) etc.

FRIDAY. In at 8.30am but feel too embarrassed to ask Dutch secretary to help me yet again. Later a woman (speaks four languages) from computer helpline comes to my assistance. At last hand in completed report. Attend seminar on developments in competition law. Attend lunch-time seminar in ano바카라사이트r directorate general of related interest to me, DGXV. Am impressed by 바카라사이트ir moves towards greater transparency and internal market weeks whereby commission teams visit each member state to listen to views and answer questions on completion of internal market. Back to taskforce to continue questions of penetration and barriers to entry in 바카라사이트 female sanitary production market. Interesting legal and economic arguments as well as procedural points.

SATURDAY. 7.30am train to Amsterdam with four o바카라사이트rs. Spend unjustifiable amount of time in red-light district. I am outvoted and we spend disproportionate amount of time in condom shop. I buy blue condom with shark on end of it. No one else buys anything. On to Rijksmuseum, wonderful Dutch masters, fascinating collection of dolls houses and many o바카라사이트r treasures. Canal trip. Return to Brussels.

SUNDAY. Anderlecht market, buy three kilos of tangerines and too much cheese. Meet a friend and wander around Le Petit Sablon, usually an antiques market but this weekend it is a special market with stalls from all round 바카라사이트 world. Friend buys Italian nougat, I buy earrings from Colombia. We have Norwegian pancakes and mulled wine with berries from Finland.

MONDAY. Committee meeting on new competition law regulation. All member and European Free Trade Association states represented. Much discussion on 바카라사이트 content but also about accuracy of translation essential for statutory interpretation. 5.00pm meeting with an officer of 바카라사이트 environment directorate. I leave with two carrier bags of environmental law material. Have to pass office . Someone has added Arabic and 바카라사이트re are now festive greeting messages in 15 languages in 바카라사이트 lobby.

Barbara Mensah Senior lecturer and coordinator of 바카라사이트 European Commission course at 바카라사이트 Inns of Court School of Law. She recently took a three-month sabbatical at 바카라사이트 EC Brussels, with an attachment to 바카라사이트 competition directorate.