As part of the work of the “SMET” task force on the implementation of internal market rules, the European Commission will focus in 2023 on existing barriers to packaging and the provision and digitalisation of cross-border services, according to a report presented to the Internal Market and Industry Ministers at the ‘Competitiveness’ Council on Thursday 1 December.
Two projects are currently under consideration. The first concerns packaging. In its report, the Commission states that divergent national requirements for packaging and packaging labelling constitute a common barrier to goods in the single market.
The second is the cross-border provision of services and their digitalisation. Cross-border service providers have to comply with many requirements which often differ from those of their home Member State, the institution says in this case. Examples are prior declarations, licences and general registrations. For the institution, the digitalisation of the procedures related to these requirements can make all the difference.
In this respect, two other projects are currently under consideration to improve the functioning of various single market instruments. The first is the Single Digital Gateway and the digitalisation of key government services, both national and local, for the single market.
The other project is the Internal Market Information System, which allows national authorities to exchange information quickly and securely. The aim of the project would be to increase the use of the system and make it more efficient, the Commission said in its report.
To consult the report: https://aeur.eu/f/4ft (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)