• Photo Gallery
• CEBRE Press Release
• Invitation to the event
• Seminar programme and list of speakers (pdf)

The deadline for implementation of the Services Directive into national law of EU Member States expired at the end of last year. Most Member States have included provisions of the Directive into national law, participate in discussions regarding the process of implementation and established Single Points of Contact to assist entrepreneurs to enter into business and cross-border activities within the EU.

Despite these achievements, the participants of the seminar “Implementation of the Services Directive”, held on 4 November 2010 at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, agreed that real progress in the field of internal market as well as the achievement of real economic results requires a much more ambitious and proactive approach of all actors.

The Services Directive is an essential project for the completion of the internal market. Although the directive apparently affects only the service sector, its real impact on the internal market is much broader. Services Directive provides in particular a qualitative shift in the field of communication, both between Member States' administrations, and between authorities and business community.

The discussion also pointed out that the implementation process of the Services Directive with the establishment of Single Points of Contact, some simplification of permitting procedures and abolition of redundant conditions for access to certain services contributed significantly to improving the business environment in national administrations.

The seminar followed up on a successful event held at the Czech Permanent Representation in April, and attracted about 80 participants comprising representatives of Member States and EU institutions, businesses and business associations. It was organised by the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic and CEBRE - Czech Business Representation to the EU. The discussion was opened by the Czech Ambassador to the EU Milena Vicenová and closed by the Deputy Ambassador Jana Reinišová.

_{Photo: Zbyněk Prokop, Pilsen Region Representation in Brussels}