EU Services Directive

Introduction date

TBA

Summary

The Services Directive (2006/123/EC) aims to make it easier for businesses both to set up in other member states of the EU and to provide services cross-border or on a temporary basis. It will achieve this through:

• setting up 'points of single contact' in each member state through which providers will be able to find the information and complete the formalities necessary to do business there;
• facilitating greater co-operation between regulatory and authorisation bodies across the EU in the supervision of service providers;
• engendering consumer confidence in cross-border service provision through greater access to information and other measures; and
• abolishing restrictive legislation and practices that hinder service providers.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has consulted (to Feb 2008) on implementation of the Directive in the UK, and the government's response to the consultation was published in Jun 2008.

The Directive must be implemented in member states by 28 Dec 2009.