A Single Market in services by 2010?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 20, 2003 -- In March 2003, the European Council noted its determination to bring forward a range of measures and changes designed to remove obstacles to the cross boarder provision of services � more than 10 years after the Single Market project was launched.



This firm position was generated by the fact that the EU has failed to build a real single market for services according to its planning, and now is faced with a huge gap between the vision of an integrated EU economy and the reality as experienced by European citizens and European service providers.

The last report from the European Commission to the European Council in July 2003, addresses the question of an Internal Market for services, and makes a very strong statement by saying that barriers need to be removed urgently to meet the objective of economic reform.

In view of the foregoing, the EC started different initiatives. Amongst them are an extensive catalogue on �The State of the Internal Market for Services: COM (2002) 441� and a report on �Standards in the Service Sector - An Explorative Study�. In October 2003, the EC addressed a �Programming� to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in the field of services. The Mandate, although written in a broad fashion, is meant to ensure that all possibilities regarding standardization for services are given due consideration.

The creation of standards in services will enable free and fair trade, bring forward the competition, support European economic growth and finally, contribute to the openness of the Internal Market. . Services account for 70 per cent of the GDP and employment in the EU. The problems encountered by the barriers to services at the moment stop the EU from becoming the world�s most competitive economy by 2010. The enlargement of the EU in May 2004 will need to ensure the effective operation of the Internal Market for over 425 million citizens. Seeing that many barriers have been reported to exist in Candidate Countries, problems will multiply with enlargement.



Currently, standardization in CEN exclusively in the field of services can be described as being tentative and ad-hoc, rather than based on consistent lines of firmly grounded and shared policies.



At the beginning of September 2003 CEN launched an enquiry on the interests and needs for service standardization. Priority was given to those service sectors where intra-community trade is already happening or desired in the future.

The continuing replies to this enquiry from federations, associations, national standardization bodies and governments prove that there is interest.



However, much more is needed



CEN has first to identify the framework that could promote this development within the context of �Consumer protection and satisfaction� as well as �Removal of trade barriers� requirements. To this end it will be necessary to continue and strengthen cooperation with all interested and involved parties in the field of services.

This paper raises awareness and proposes a pro-active approach. The nature and scope of the problems to be addressed require a major effort and commitment of all European institutions and member states, as well as accession countries.