The Services Directive: making it easier for service companies to operate across Europe

Many companies will soon find it easier to offer services - in Germany and across Europe. From today on, the Services Directive is in force.

"The improvements will help smaller companies in particular to make even better use of their potential in Europe in future", commended Rainer Brüderle, Federal Minister of Economics and Technology.

Bakers, estate agents, tour guides or business consultants - a host of service providers will be able to benefit from the improved rules under the new Directive.

The simplifications particularly include the establishment of the Points of Single Contact. Businesses are familiar with the problem: whom must I contact to obtain the permits I need? This question often arises both for domestic firms and for investors from abroad. The points of single contact will be available for service providers throughout Europe, and they will - on request - be able to handle all the relevant formalities covered by the Directive and to provide information from a single source.

The Federal Länder will be responsible for establishing points of single contact in Germany. Service providers in Germany can find the appropriate point of single contact via the portal set up by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (www.Einheitlicher-Ansprechpartner-Deutschland.de); the equivalent agencies in the rest of Europe can be located via the Commission' s platform www.eu-go.eu.

Service providers will also benefit from the abolition of disproportionate or unjustified requirements.
In Germany, the Federal Government, the Länder, the municipalities and the chambers have screened all legislation affecting services to ensure that it is compatible with the Directive, and have abolished discriminatory or disproportionate rules. Life will also become easier for German companies abroad. For example, some countries are abolishing the previous requirement to set up a branch office or to employ a national representative. Obligations to structure companies in a certain legal form will normally be outlawed in future. Fixed deadlines for procedures and improved rules governing the recognition of foreign documents will also make life easier.

Lastly, companies and consumers will benefit from better co-operation between the administrations of the member states. The exchange between the authorities via an electronic information and communications system (IMI) aims to avoid duplicate requirements and thus to slash red tape for companies. And co-operation between the authorities will make it easier to take action against unreliable companies at an early stage.

You can find more information (in German) about the Services Directive at www.dienstleisten-leicht-gemacht.de.