Brussels, 16/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the European People's Party (EPP)Political Bureau approved a resolution on the services directive in which it supports the wish of the EP's committee on the internal market to public services that are open to competition within the scope of the legislative proposal. It believes that services of general economic interest (SGEI) are a vast economic sector in which innovative companies, and SMEs in particular, should benefit from the freedom that the directive provides. According to the EPP, the amendments of the EPP-ED Group (allied to other political groups) in the Gebhardt report, will facilitate cross-border provision of services while ensuring that public authorities are able to continue to protect the legitimate interests of citizens, especially in the health, security, environment and labour sectors. The directive will therefore be applied without prejudice from the legislation on employment and social security, the EPP states, calling on the European Parliament and Council to adopt a final text as soon as possible to maintain the fundamental principles adopted by the internal market committee (see EUROPE 9108 on the subject of the request made by the GUE/NGL Group to reject the proposal for a directive).