EuroCommerce, the group that represents the retail sector in Europe, has called on the European Commission to ensure that the Services Directive, which was adopted in 2006, delivers benefits for service providers in the European business sector, including retailers and wholesalers.
EuroCommerce made its comments following the publication of the Commission communication on the Single Market in a Changing World.
Protectionist Policies
“While the Commission survey paints a positive picture of the EU economies, it does not reflect the sad fact that retail and wholesale are suffering more and more from protectionist and populist measures and local rules, as its earlier report on Retail Fit for the 21st Century highlighted,” said EuroCommerce director general Christian Verschueren.
“We regret that the EU institutions have not been able to do more over the past five years to improve conditions for retail and cross-border services, and ensure that the Services Directive […] finally delivers the benefits for the EU economy that it should.”
Notification Procedure
One legislative proposal that could improve conditions, ‘would be the rapid adoption of the Commission proposal for a notification procedure for authorisation schemes and requirements related to services,’’ EuroCommerce said.
‘This would allow draft national rules to be assessed by the Commission prior to adoption. This would not only avoid costly and time-consuming infringement cases, but make a major contribution to improving implementation of existing rules under the Services Directive’.
“Services make up over 70% of EU GDP, yet the Council is currently blocking progress on a notification process which could make a major difference to the single market in services and the EU economy,” Verschueren added.
“Some Member States may have to change current ways of working. The current tools at the Commission’s disposal make it almost impossible for a clear principle which Member States signed up to 12 years ago – that rules under the directive should be non-discriminatory, justified and proportionate at national, regional and local level – to be enforced.”
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
