Current state of play in the implementation of the Bolkestein Directive in Member States

19.10.2017

Question for written answer E-006566-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Damiano Zoffoli (S&D)

The EU Services Directive (Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market), known as the Bolkestein Directive and based on a Commission proposal submitted in February 2004, was transposed into Italian law by Legislative Decree No 59 in March 2010.

The Bolkestein Directive seeks to facilitate the movement of services within the EU and applies only to services provided for payment, excluding a number of services listed in the text.

Services account for 70% of jobs in Europe and their liberalisation, in the manner that the directive has been aiming for, would increase employment and GDP in the EU.

Instead of laying down specific rules to govern the services sector in the broad sense, the directive is intended to be a framework directive and thus leaves Member States free to determine, in accordance with Union law, which services they consider to be of general economic interest.

— What progress have the Member States made in implementing the directive in the 11 years since it was adopted? What legislative initiatives have they taken in order to give effect to the directive?

— Does not the Commission think that it should ascertain whether the directive needs to be amended in the light of the lessons that have been learned from its implementation in Member States?