European Union News - Internal Market

The European Commission launched in 7 January 2010 a public consultation on the Professional Qualifications Directive, an opportunity for stakeholders to highlight areas of the Directive they feel could be improved, seeking views on how to better integrate professionals working in the Single Market, and raises the option of a European Professional Card. The results of the Consultation will feed into an evaluation report and a Green Paper due this autumn prior to Commission's proposal for modernising the Directive in 2012.

In its recent report about the application of 2004 Directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, the European Commission highlights the important progress which has been achieved since it was adopted and implemented in the Member States. However, Commission also points out the important increase in the economic value of IPR infringements and the need to pay attention to certain issues such as the observance of procedures, legal proceedings and protective measures, as well as taking into account the changes introduced by the Internet and digital technologies.

Following the requirements laid down in the new Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging, more than 3 million notifications have been submitted by chemicals manufacturers and importers to the European Chemical Agency by the deadline. This classification aims to better protect human health and the environment, by determining whether a chemical is dangerous and the information on the labels of chemicals that workers and consumers use.

Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is not only a major inconvenience for users, but also a considerable environmental problem. In order to solve this situation, the European Commission called in 2009 for an agreement in order to harmonise chargers for data-enabled mobile phones. Following this mandate, the European Standardisation Bodies CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have now made available the harmonised standards required for the manufacture of data-enabled mobile phones compatible with a new common charger.

On the 1st January 2011, Estonia will have two reasons for celebration. At the same time the country will become the seventeenth country in the Euro area, its capital city, Tallinn, will become the European Capital of Culture. To mark both these events, an opening ceremony featuring an evening concert and fireworks will take place in the city.

The European Commission has published on 20 December a Communication outlining the most serious tax problems that EU citizens face in cross-border situations and has announces plans for solutions. This Communication also puts forward that some measures should be implemented in order to make national tax systems more compatible so that citizens will not be deterred from engaging in cross-border activities.

During a public session held at the Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space) Council, ministers exchanged views on the way forward for the future establishment of a single EU patent system and, in particular, the possibility to starting up an enhanced cooperation between several member states. Italian and Spanish delegations strongly opposed the idea of taking this path.

Ministers meeting within the Competitiveness Council held in Brussels on 10 December adopted a decision aimed at facilitating the transition of the specific state aid regime currently applying for the coal sector to the general state aid rules applicable to all sectors in the EU. This Decision will extend under certain conditions the possibility to grant aids to coal mines until December 2018.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on 10 December 2010 Council Directive 2010/88/EU of 7 December 2010 amending Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax, with regard to the duration of the obligation to respect a minimum standard rate. According to this Directive minimum standard will maintained in 15% for the next five years.

The European Commission has put forward on 9 December 2010 a proposal aimed to boost the position of the producers in the dairy supply chain and prepare the sector for a more market oriented and sustainable future. This proposal is a response to the the needs of this pressured sector and falls within the framework of the general challenges pointed out by the future Common Agricultural Policy after 2013.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation in order to seek the views of consumers, businesses, Telecom operators and public authorities and gather their ideas on the best ways to boost competition in roaming services, while protecting the interests of European consumers and businesses. The consultation runs until 11 February 2011 and will provide a basis for a review of the current Roaming Regulation which the European Commission has to carry out before the end of June 2011.