Brussels, 27/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - Almost two years after the adoption of the Commission White Paper on the Services of General Interest (SGI) directive, MEPs are taking it in hand and believe it possible to deliver an opinion on the White Paper during the July plenary session. Strengthened cooperation was set up between the parliamentary economic affairs committee, as a priority and that of the internal market, which will deal with aspects linked to free provision of services.
The Herzog report of January 2004 on the Commission's Green Paper on SGI will constitute the “basis for work”, indicated the rapporteur for the internal market committee, Jozsef Szajer (EPP/ED, Hungary on 21 March. He did, nevertheless, add that he had not been convinced of the need for a Community regulatory framework for these services. Zuzana Roithova (EPP-ED, Czech Republic) echoes these sentiments, “it is difficult to envisage EU level action due to the specificities of the sector”. Toine Manders (ALDE, Netherlands) considered that this work was complementary to the draft services directive in the internal market and that they needed to, “avoid all services being cited as SGI”.
Pierre Jonckheer (Greens/EFA, Belgium), said the “point of litigation” is the following, “whether Parliament will clearly request the Commission to present a draft framework directive” for SGI. Jonckheer alluded to divisions at the Council and the “wait and see” attitude of the Commission, which revealed the “basic legal problem” resulting from the absence of a European Constitution before launching a European initiative in this domain. Jonckheer supported a “positive law” rather than a “derogatory” law on SGI. He pointed out that another political group, the Socialist group had taken the initiative in preparing a legislative proposal (EUROPE 9128). A Commission representative indicated that, “the European Commission is eagerly awaiting the opinion of the EP” and would produce, “new proposals in the form of a communication” after the summer. He also pointed out that the Commission would present a “communication on Social Services of General Interest” at the end of April.