Does the directive make it easier to start doing business in another country?
Yes. Each country must provide a “one-stop-shop” for foreign companies, which will deal with all the formalities – instead of obliging them to deal with different authorities at national, regional and local level. Also, companies are meant to be able to provide all information by electronic means. Which countries were least keen on the directive? France and Germany led opposition to the directive in March 2005. Since then, the German government has changed. The new government pressed for early agreement on the new text of the directive. The UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary signed a letter in the run-up to the parliamentary vote in February, calling on the European Commission to support an ambitious version of the services directive that would lead to a “truly functioning internal market”. What is the time scale for the directive to become law? The directive must receive final approval from the member states, probably before the end of 2006. It is possi
