Information Society services: procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules
1996/0220(COD) - 30/08/1996
OBJECTIVE : the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive is designed to set up
a transparency mechanism introducing a procedure for the supply of information and administrative
cooperation between national and Community authorities regarding rules and regulations on
Information Society services.
SUBSTANCE : the transparency mechanism proposed by the Commission pursues the following
objectives: (a) ensuring the smooth functioning of the internal market for Information Society
services by preventing the creation of new obstacles; (b) ensuring an equivalent level of protection
of general-interest objectives between Member States; (c) establishing more clearly and reducing
the need for new Community rules and regulations; (d) facilitating administrative cooperation; (e)
contributing to the stability of the regulatory framework, a prerequisite for stimulating the
development of the Information Society.
In concrete terms, each Member State would have to communicate to the Commission and the other
Member States any draft national rules and regulations on Information Society services: their entry
into force would be conditional upon a minimum standstill period of three months for verification
of the consistency and compatibility of the draft with existing Community law, including internal
market rules. A committee would administer the procedure.�