Brussels, 23/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is unhappy about the draft directive that would introduce at EU level a 30-day deadline for public authorities to pay their bills (see EUROPE 9879). CEMR's policy director, Angelika Poth-Mögele, explained in a press release that this would be unfair and unjustified because in the Common Market, the public authorities are subject to the same competition rules as private enterprise. CEMR does not understand why public authorities should be discriminated against in this way. This view is shared by the European Parliament rapporteur, German Social Democrat Barbara Weiler, who explains in a working document that there should be further thought over the idea of treating the public sector differently from the private sector. Recognising that public authorities are different from private enterprise when it comes to financial planning and access to funding, she nevertheless believes that this alone does not justify being treated differently in terms of payment deadlines and fines for late payment. Weiler envisages extending the EU invoice payment deadlines to companies responsible for providing public services and utilities like water and electricity companies. (M.B./transl.fl)