Services Directive a step closer to reality

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has welcomed the news that the EU's landmark Services Directive came a step closer to becoming reality last night.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has welcomed the news that the EU's landmark Services Directive came a step closer to becoming reality last night.

The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) voted in favour of the Directive in its final committee vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The Directive will take the form agreed by member states in May without any amendments.

It aims to knock down remaining barriers to the completion of the EU's internal market in services, which constitute 70% of the bloc's economy.

The FPB's Chief Executive, Nick Goulding, said: "It is vital for UK and European competitiveness that the Services Directive is issued.

It will be a clear sign that the whole EU is in agreement with Barroso's growth-friendly agenda, as well as providing significant opportunities for service providers, particularly the UK's smaller businesses.

The Directive would screen out regulations which could be deemed to discriminate against foreign entrants setting up business in a domestic market, and create regulatory one-stop shops (OSSs) to ease regulatory formalities.

The only remaining hurdle is the plenary vote, scheduled for next month.

Businesses are lobbying hard to make sure that the delicate compromise achieved in May and approved in last night's committee vote goes through the plenary.

The FPB has gone so far as to write to French and German MEPs in their own language to get the message across.

Back to top