Brussels, 26/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has called upon the European Commission to present a legislative proposal as soon as possible on the creation of a single European system for the protection of geographical indications for non-agricultural products of the Union, in an own-initiative report (423 votes in favour, 92 against and 54 abstentions) on the single market strategy, which was adopted at the plenary session in Brussels on Thursday 29 May.
This point is particularly important to the rapporteur, the Italian MEP Lara Comi (EPP). The Council is still foundering over the issue of the “made in” label for non-agricultural products under the regulatory package “Product safety and market surveillance”, particularly article 7 of the regulation on product safety (see EUROPE 11323). Italy and various other countries of southern Europe see the label as a gauge of traceability and would like it to be introduced more broadly than ceramics and shoes, textiles, jewellery and wooden furniture. The issue is that a number of Northern countries take the opposite view, feeling that the label harms competitiveness and will weigh down administrative procedures (see EUROPE 11225).
As it concerns the entire single market strategy presented in October of last year (see EUROPE 11419 and 11417), the own-initiative report is particularly dense and covers many other points as well. The MEPs feel that one of the main priorities of the strategy should be to reduce the administrative burden and the costs of compliance for SMEs, whilst ensuring a high level of protection for consumers, employees, health and the environment.
The question of taxation also arises. Here, the MEPs ask the Commission “whether it would be possible to consider” setting in place a simplified VAT approach for the same category of goods in the online commerce sector.
The Parliament also highlights the importance of the 'share economy' and calls upon the Commission to submit without delay guidelines to clarify the application of existing European legislation to this emerging sector. The aim is to prevent tax obligations and social contributions from being invaded, but more generally, also to ensure that social and employment rules are complied with. The Commission is expected to present these guidelines “in the next few weeks”, a source told us. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)