The European Commission announced the creation of a new High Level Group (HLG) to examine the challenges facing the business services sector and the obstacles to a well-functioning single market in this field.

The new High Level Group (HLG) created by the European Commission will make policy recommendations and help policy-makers to identify ways to improve the level of productivity and innovation of business services. The Commission presented the newly created HLG on business services as an action in the review communications on Industrial Policy and the Single Market. In June 2012, the Commission proposed measures to better single market governance and boosting services.

In particular, the High Level Group will examine selected sectors, such as technical and engineering services, marketing and advertising, private security services and design as well as horizontal issues related to innovation, standardisation, cross-border trade, impact of regulations and the role of ICT for providers of business services. The Commission highlighted that business services have the potential to generate more jobs, higher growth and improved productivity, to the benefit of other sectors such as industry and ultimately consumers.

Moreover, the Commission stressed that business services employ 21 million people in the EU in more than 4 million enterprises and have an untapped potential to contribute to increased productivity, competitiveness and growth.