Unioncamere Liguri

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Unioncamere Liguri

• "A new push for the Internal Market"
• Sebastian Bohr
• European Commission
• Internal Market DG
• 24 November 2003

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10 Years Internal Market benefits
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But we are not yet tapping its full potential
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What businesses think

• Italian businesses amongst the most positive
• satisfaction levels are highest among large
  companies
• Over 80 of businesses see improving the Internal
  Market as a top priority

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Internal Market Strategy 2003 - 2006

• "What the European Union needs to doover the
  next three yearsto derive maximum benefitfrom
  the Internal Marketafter enlargement."

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"Back to basics"
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Providing services across borders can be a
steeple-chase

• Trade in services is lower than 10 years ago
• Huge employment potential is being missed
• Small companies deterred from trading across
  bordes

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What is the Commission proposing ?

• Remove restrictions and red tape in one fell
  swoop
• Avoid new restrictions from being put into place
• Develop standards and improve quality of
  statistics

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Trading in goods can be difficult

• Companies still report problems when trading
  within the Internal Market
• Small companies are the worst hit
• Intra-EU trade has stagnated since 2000

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What is the Commission proposing ?

• Make mutual recognition work better
• Speed up the development of European standards
• Reduce the fragmentary effect of "voluntary"
  marking

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What are the other priorities?

• Improving access to procurement markets for small
  companies
• raising levels of professionalism
• strengthening enforcement
• boosting e-procurement

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"Network industries" market opening has
benefited small businesses
July 2002 prices for 2GWh/year customer
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The next stage

• pursue further market opening (e.g. water and
  postal services)
• make it easier for private companies to enter
  into partnerships with the public sector
• important for Trans-European Networks

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Reducing the impact of fiscal obstacles

• eliminate double taxation
• work towards common consolidated tax base
• VAT reduce the burden on small companies

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Improving the Business Environment

• Facilitate the uptake of international accounting
  standards by small companies
• European Private Company Statute for small
  companies

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Reducing red tape

• red tape hits small businesses particularly hard
• cut the EU body of law by 25 by 2005
• conduct extended impact assessments
• action at national level where between 50 and
  90 of rules are made

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Citizens and businesses still do not know about
their rights

• less than half of EU citizens consider themselves
  well informed
• lowest score in Italy (33)
• only 41 of smaller companies feel well informed
  compared to 58 of larger companies

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What is the Commission proposing?

• make better use of the Internet
• run national information campaigns
• particular focus on the new Member States

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Implementing the rules Italy near the bottom of
the class
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Enforcing the rules

• Member States to work in partnership with the
  Commission
• wider use of alternatives to infringement
  proceedings (SOLVIT)
• cut number of infringements by at least 50

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SOLVIT

• Effective On-line Problem Solving

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What kind of problems can it solve?

• Citizens
• Recognition of Diplomas, Social Security,
  Residence permits, Car Registration
• Businesses
• Mutual recognition, Taxation, Conformity
  Assessment, Customs

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How SOLVIT works
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SOLVIT now

• In business for 15 months
• More than 200 cases
• 73 of cases resolved
• Average time taken 64 days

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Examples of settled cases

• German University admits student on basis of
  Austrian diploma.
• New labels mean Danish consumers can drink from
  Swedish plastic cups.
• Italy pays back social security contributions to
  Finn.
• Spain repays 600 EUR tachograph fine to
  Portuguese road assistance company.

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How to enter the SOLVIT database ?
Enter as a registered organisation
Click here
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How to submit a case to SOLVIT ?
Submit a new case
Click here for cases related to citizens
Click here for cases related to businesses
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SOLVIT

• http//europa.eu.int/solvit