Brussels, 20/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Bienkowska has mentioned the possibility of developing a single digital gateway to simplify the process for companies developing their business activities across borders. The European Commissioner for Enterprise is subsequently seeking to provide a response to the weaknesses identified in the Points of Single Contact (PSCs).
In 2009, the services directive launched this one-stop shop network for providing administrative assistance. During a conference on the subject on Tuesday 20 January, the European Commissioner underlined certain weak points, such as the different quality in services offered in the different member states, as well as their lack of accessibility because entrepreneurs still had to seek information from different sources. She also regretted the lack of synergy between the PSCs, which are often segmented according to administrative requests made in the services or products fields. The Commissioner also said that these Points of Single Contact were not sufficiently accessible online.
The Commissioner stated that she did not want to wait another six months to see progress being made and that they only needed to improve an existing tool. She explained that “In the 21st century, public administrations need to have a strong customer service culture and they need to be electronically available”. She is therefore proposing to “put in place a 'single digital gateway' for Europe within the next few years. Such a gateway would connect all existing projects and initiatives. We would include the PSCs, the product contact points and construction contact points. Such a gateway would allow businesses to access both EU- and national-level information from a common platform. All the information you need in one place not 100 places”. Above all, she intends to help companies take sensitive decisions in an informed way and subsequently save time and money and experience fewer uncertainties about cross-border operations. (MD)