Single Market: Commission seeks views on how to facilitate cross-border provision of services

The Commission today launched a public consultationon how to make it easier for service providers to provide services across the EU. As announced in the Single Market Strategy, the Commission plans to propose by the end of 2016 a Services Passport to simplify the administrative procedures for service providers who want to expand to other Member States. The Commission is also gathering views on how to address the regulatory barriers for key business services and construction and improve access to professional indemnity insurance coverage when service providers go cross-border. Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: “Services account for two thirds of the EU economy. But the cross-border provision of services in the EU is underdeveloped, in particular in the area of business services – such as accounting and engineering services – and the construction sector. The Services Passport will help services providers big or small overcome administrative complexities. By promoting dynamic services markets, the Single Market will help deliver cheaper services and more choice for consumers.” The goal of the Services Passport is to give services providers legal certainty and clarity about the rules they have to comply with when they want to operate in another Member State. The Services Passport will simplify administrative procedures without changing the amount of applicable rules or reduce labour law or social protection requirements that service providers need to comply with. By looking at how regulatoryand insurance requirements play a role in service providers’ activities and options to reduce them if necessary, the Commission wants to make the best use of the Single Market for growth.The public consultation runs until 26 July