Brussels, 15/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - Discussions underway on the "Services" directive are starting to allay the fears of the Austrian Chamber of Trade and Industry (WKÖ). These fears relate mainly to the levelling down of the quality of services, the social dumping which could result from the 100% application of the principle of country of origin. However, the WKÖ's overall view is that the "Services" directive is a positive initiative for the internal market.
On the overlap between the future "Services" and "Recognition of vocational qualifications" directives (see EUROPE of 8 December), the European institutions' message to the WKÖ is one of reassurance. The registration of foreign service-providers will allow the host Member States to check their level of qualifications, and, for health and safety professionals, an assessment appears possible. Fears of social dumping also seem to be abating, as the "Seconded Workers" directive will continue to apply. A spokesperson for the WKÖ said that clarifications are still needed to determine "who will check what" under the country of origin principle.