European Parliament adopts directive on services in the internal market

On 16 February, the European Parliament adopted the proposal for a directive on services in the internal market by a large majority at first reading.

After two years of intensive work, the Commission's initial proposal, dating back to January 2004, was thoroughly revised The objective however remains the same: the elimination of obstacles to the free movement of services, while ensuring workers' social rights.

The free circulation of services replaces the "country of origin" principle. This obliges Member States to respect the service provider's right to provide services.