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Business organisations have welcomed the European Parliament vote to create a
single market in services. The British Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors
and Federation of Small Businesses said the services directive will make it easier,
faster and cheaper for SMEs to provide services across borders, and will ultimately
help to generate growth and jobs.
Adopted measures that will be good for business include a single point of contact in
each member state where service providers can register for market access; also
member states will no longer be able to force businesses to open an office or branch
when they merely wish to test the market in question.
However, the business groups believe the measure could have gone further. The
vagueness of the text and the absence of the country of origin principle will mean
that the protectionist instincts of some member states could still prevail.
Miles Templeman, director general of the IoD, said: "Although we would have
preferred a more ambitious directive, we are determined to make the best of the
positive measures approved by the Parliament. Single points of contact and a ban on
requiring businesses to be formally established before they can trade should help our
members to test other EU markets. It could and should have been more, but we
welcome what we've got."
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