Services portal
EU Services Directive (Directive 2006/123/EC)
DIN plays a major role in implementing the Services Directive in Germany.
The European internal market has grown considerably since its foundation and has helped make the EU one of the strongest markets in the world. However, this development applies for the most part to the manufacturing industry. The service sector - which is considered to have huge potential for the future - has not been much affected. One reason is that service providers and service recipients attempting to reach across borders are met with numerous national barriers to trade in services.
Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 "on services in the internal market" - also called the "EU Services Directive" - addresses this issue. The aim of the Directive is to promote trade in services throughout Europe, specifically by:
? removing bureaucratic and legal hurdles,
? facilitating the approval of service providers on different national markets,
? optimizing support for service providers and service recipients,
? enhancing administrative cooperation.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the economic affairs ministries of the Länder (federal states) are responsible for implementing the Directive.
During the implementation process, consideration will be given regarding the extent to which services standardization at European level is useful for enhancing the comparability and quality of services. According to Article 26 (5) of the Directive, "Member States ... shall encourage the development of voluntary European standards with the aim of facilitating compatibility between services supplied by providers in different Member States, information to the recipient and the quality of service provision".
With its extensive network of experts, DIN is making a large contribution to this work. DIN's Coordination Office for Services Standardization (KDL) is playing a major role in this. The Office coordinates all activities within DIN relating to the Services Directive and serves as a contact partner in Germany.
