www.agp.org | Archives - WTO info: EU internal market plan to open up services markets and water sector

A new Directive on services, reinforcing the rules on mutual recognition and the opening up the water sector to more competition are some of the key elements in the new Internal Market Strategy presented on 7 May.

The Internal Market Strategy presented by Commissioner Fritz Bolkestein on 7 May consists of a battery of more than 110 measures ranging from new legislation to recommendations and guidelines to the Member States. The new elements of the Strategy 2003-2006 are:

better enforcement of internal market laws: looking at the poor implementation performance of the Member States in the Internal Market Scoreboard, the strategy proposes to set up national mechanisms that could monitor application of Community law;
the introduction of a new Directive on services before the end of 2003;
improvement of the free movement of goods by adopting a new Regulation on mutual recognition;
a study of the competition situation in the water sector with the option of possible legislative measures;
the development, as asked by the Parliament, of a "compatibility test" for all new national laws, to ensure that there are no conflicts with Internal Market rules;
the reduction of tax obstacles: e.g. the introduction of a common corporate tax base to allow businesses which supply products and services in other countries, to pay VAT in their home country only;
more open public procurement markets: the Commission will propose in 2004 an action plan for e-procurement, and it asks Member States to improve their co-operation in the Public Procurement Network and reinforce national surveillance authorities.

Full article with useful weblinks on
http://www.euractiv.com/cgi-bin/cgint.exe/?targ=1&204&OIDN=1505405

EU internal market plan to open up services markets and water sector

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