Brussels, 15/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 21 February, EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier briefed MEPs at the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee on progress with the Single Market Act (SMA), along with progress in the public procurement legislation that is so controversial in Germany (see EUROPE 10791).
The service sector and more specifically e-shopping and consumer confidence in it could be the subject of a new Single Market Act III of their own, explained Barnier, admitting that it would not be credible if it weren't possible to get the SMA I and SMA II measures adopted first. He drew a very mixed balance sheet for SMA I: two of the twelve measures proposed in April 2011 have been formally adopted and agreement in principle has been reached on three, with formal adoption expected in the next few weeks.
In October 2012, the Commissioner unveiled Single Market Act II that includes the fourth rail package (see EUROPE 10775) and a directive on product safety (see EUROPE 10785), two items of draft legislation unveiled by the European Commission recently. Barnier said that by October, all the planned SMA II measures will have been unveiled and he hoped that by then, the Irish Presidency would have been able to get simplification of the EU accounting rules and electronic signatures under way, two items of draft legislation that are part of the SMA I package.
Barnier, who used to be an MEP, promised that he would do his utmost to deliver the service directive's full growth potential. A hearing was organised on that very subject at the European Parliament on Wednesday 20 February, where MEPs and experts saw that full implementation of the directive would have the potential to increase EU27 GDP by 2.6% over five to ten years.
Barnier addressed a number of hot potatoes. Three-way interinstitutional talks on the draft directive on the recognition of professional qualifications will start next month to settle questions raised by professions such as notaries, midwives and vets. Talks will also begin on the professional insurance directive. In this connection, the MEPs on the Internal Market Committee commissioned Bernadette Vergnaud (S&D, France) to enter talks with the Irish Presidency.
A similar mandate was given to Constance le Grip (EPP, France) on reform of the EU customs code. One area of the negotiations will be how to deal with licensed economic operators. (SP/transl.fl)