Brussels, 27/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - Set up in July 2002, the on-line network SOLVIT helps citizens and companies of the EU to resolve problems caused by incorrect application of Community legislation. It is present in all 25 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In 2004, it dealt with 289 cases (an increase of 72% compared to 2003), 94 of which originated in the new Member States. Solutions were found in 80% of cases and the beneficiaries saved time and money.
Any citizen or company can make a request of the SOLVIT centre in their Member State, which will contact their opposite number in the State where the problem arose. Together, they seek a solution within six weeks. Citizens submitted two thirds of all cases examined (mainly in the field of recognition of professional qualifications or social security rights). The remaining two thirds were forwarded by businesses, most wishing to make good their market access rights. In one case put to SOLVIT, relating to a Dutch citizen employed by a German company which seconded him to France, it took eight weeks for the French authorities to recognise his right to unemployment benefit for the work he carried out in France. A Czech company making fire extinguishers was not obliged to set itself up in Slovakia to train its clients on how to use them, as Slovakian law obliged it to do.
The SOLVIT network wants to make its services better known and improve its relations with other networks such as the “Citizens' Signpost Service”. (Info: http: //europa.eu.int/solvit)