The report aims to describe the realities of the Internal Market
as seen by providers and users of services by presenting a
comprehensive inventory of existing barriers in the Internal
Market for services. It does not at this stage seek to assess
whether any individual barrier is justifiable or not under
Community law, but serves as a basis for further detailed work
during the second stage of the Services Strategy as indicated in
the Commission's Communication of 29.12.00.
This report will serve as the basis for initiatives to be launched
in 2003 under the second stage of the Services Strategy. It will
involve both legislative and non-legislative initiatives as
announced in the Strategy. In respect of a legislative proposal, a
careful balance has to be found between the need to avoid too
detailed and wide-ranging regulation at European Union level and
the need to protect the general interest objectives concerned. In
line with the Services Strategy, legal barriers will, as far as
possible, be addressed by one comprehensive and horizontal
framework directive. It is more economic and efficient to deal
with barriers in a horizontal way than to launch a broad range of
new sectoral initiatives.
In respect of non-regulatory initiatives, the Commission will, in
the first instance, consider what measures could be provided to
consumers and business in terms of better information and any
necessary assistance in order to allow them to benefit fully from
the EU's Internal Market.
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