On Tuesday 4 December, CEEP held a conference to debate with a wide range of stakeholders on the Single Market review and its companion documents presented on 20th of November by the Commission.

Representatives from the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament from different political groups as well as the other two social partners, ETUC and BusinessEurope, discussed the place and the future of Services of General Interest within the Single Market and the need for more legal certainty.

Rainer Plassmann, Secretary General of CEEP, declared:

“The Single Market Review has brought some clarity on issues that have to be solved at the European level and the Commission is reacting in the right direction, but this is not enough.

Despite the Commission’s proposal on an interactive information service for the SGI providers, there is a need for:

- legislation, for instance, on legal conditions for IPPPs, service concessions and in-house solutions;
- further clarification of the rights and responsibilities of sub-state authorities as regards their right to define SGIs and determine how they are to be provided”.

He also added: “CEEP will continue to contribute to legislative and thematic action leading at the end to a conciliation of SGIs and the Single Market.”

Concerning the directive on the cross-border healthcare to be published by the end of December, Godfrey Perera, Secretary General of HOSPEEM (European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association) stated that: “Member States should be able to retain the right to plan their health services to ensure the viability of their health systems. HOSPEEM is fearful of the information it has had on the possible healthcare directive as the Commission’s draft gives the appearance of reintroducing the original “services directive” through the back door”.

For more information contact:
Inge REICHERT, Director of CEEP - Tel: +32 (0) 2 219 27 98