If the contents of a copy of the internal note of which EUROPE examined on Tuesday 13 February are to be believed, German CDU/CSU MEPs in the EPP group appear to have rejected several aspects of the European Commission's proposal on the electronic services card.
MEPs therefore explain in the note that they support high-quality dual training and German professional specificities. The note emphasises that contrary to the European Commission, certain professional regulations can contribute to competitiveness and underpin growth. The note then goes on to tackle the British position in favour of deregulation. In their view, professional regulation should therefore remain in the hands of the member states themselves.
The German delegation considers that the proposal should not cover all “negligible" regulations. It also advocates that authorisations should not be automatic because this could provoke legal uncertainty. The note explains, above all, that the German delegation, “strongly supports the country of destination principle” (The law applied to the service provider is that of the country where the service is provided, Ed) and therefore sets out a clear red line with regard to the risks of a possible return to the country of origin principle (the law applicable to the service provider is that of the member state where the provider is legally based, Ed) - as feared by certain member states (see EUROPE 11910).
Finally, the German delegation is refusing to make the European Commission a supervisory body of national legislation and rejects the proposal of a “right of veto" for the Commission with regard to national legislation, as stipulated in article 7 of the proposal on the directive on notification procedure.
The Commission's proposal is divided into two legislative texts (a regulation and a directive) but it does not appear to have got off to a good start in Parliament and there have already been two negative opinions provided by the parliamentary committees (see EUROPE 11933). The legal affairs committee (JURI) is preparing a draft opinion which is calling for a rejection.
The internal market and consumer protection committee (IMCO), however, appears to have a majority. The rapporteurs: Anneleen Van Bossuyt (ECR, Belgium) on the regulation and Morten Løkkegaard (ALDE, Denmark) on the directive, however, will have little chance of being able to directly negotiate with the Council, given the fact that several groups have requested a vote in the plenary. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)