Identifying obstacles in the Single Market:Identifying obstacles in the Single Market:

Tom CORRIE, MARKT.B.TF1Tom CORRIE, MARKT.B.TF1Baltic Sea Strategy and the Internal Market conferenceBaltic Sea Strategy and the Internal Market conference

17 September 201017 September 2010

The role of assistance servicesThe role of assistance services

The role of assistance servicesThe role of assistance services

What are assistance services? What are assistance services?

How can they help identify obstacles? How can they help identify obstacles?

Not many Europeans are aware of assistance servicesNot many Europeans are aware of assistance services 11% - European Consumer Centres11% - European Consumer Centres

6% - Europe Direct6% - Europe Direct

4% - Your Europe4% - Your Europe

3% - Citizens Signpost Service3% - Citizens Signpost Service

2% - SOLVIT2% - SOLVIT

69% - do not know any of the services69% - do not know any of the services

The role of assistance servicesThe role of assistance services

What we want to achieve: What we want to achieve: Better informationBetter information

Better access to fast assistance and real Better access to fast assistance and real

solutionssolutions

Better enforcement of rights Better enforcement of rights

Listen, learn and make better policiesListen, learn and make better policies

‘ ‘One-stop shop’ accessOne-stop shop’ access to to information on information on single marketsingle market rightsrights for citizens, consumers, and for citizens, consumers, and businessesbusinesses

Information also available via free-phone Information also available via free-phone number 0800 6 7 8 9 10 11number 0800 6 7 8 9 10 11

I. Better information:I. Better information:The new Your Europe portalThe new Your Europe portal

Key innovations:Key innovations:

User-centric: User-centric: no jargon, practical no jargon, practical info, honest presentation of the info, honest presentation of the situationsituation

Single access point to specialized assistance

National information National information

Listening to users’ feedbackListening to users’ feedback

Innovative promotionInnovative promotion

I. Better information:I. Better information:The new Your Europe portalThe new Your Europe portal

Innovation 1:Innovation 1:user-centricuser-centric

Innovation 2: Innovation 2: Single access point to assistance servicesSingle access point to assistance services

Innovation 3:Innovation 3:National content (potential obstacles)National content (potential obstacles)

Innovation 4:Innovation 4:Listening to users’ feedbackListening to users’ feedback

Will users Will users find usfind us?? Search Engine OptimizationSearch Engine Optimization

Promotion campaignPromotion campaign

Promoted as ‘European’ Promoted as ‘European’ rather than Commissionrather than Commission

Promotion of service rather Promotion of service rather than brandthan brand

Innovation 5:Innovation 5:PromotionPromotion

II. Fast assistance and real solutionsII. Fast assistance and real solutions

Your Europe is front officeYour Europe is front office Relies on back office of many specialised servicesRelies on back office of many specialised services

Your Europe AdviceYour Europe Advice SOLVITSOLVIT European Consumer CentresEuropean Consumer Centres Enterprise Europe NetworkEnterprise Europe Network etc…. etc….

II. Your Europe AdviceII. Your Europe Advice

Formerly Citizens Signpost Service recently Formerly Citizens Signpost Service recently renamed ‘Your Europe Advice’renamed ‘Your Europe Advice’

Your Europe Advice provides… Your Europe Advice provides… free legal advice on EU single market rightsfree legal advice on EU single market rights

a fast reply in any EU languagea fast reply in any EU language

Deals with 10 000 cases per yearDeals with 10 000 cases per year

SOLVIT criteria: SOLVIT criteria: concrete cross-border problemconcrete cross-border problem due to bad application of EU lawdue to bad application of EU law by public authorities by public authorities

SOLVIT centres in each country work together to find a SOLVIT centres in each country work together to find a

solution in 10 weekssolution in 10 weeks

Commission assists the network and provides informal Commission assists the network and provides informal

legal advicelegal advice

Deals with 1500 cases per yearDeals with 1500 cases per year

II.

European Consumer Centres…European Consumer Centres… give information and help find solutions to cross-give information and help find solutions to cross-

border shopping problemsborder shopping problems offer legal and practical advice offer legal and practical advice contact a company in another country contact a company in another country direct to dispute resolution schemes direct to dispute resolution schemes

Deal with over 60 000 cases every yearDeal with over 60 000 cases every year

II. European Consumer Centres

Enterprise Europe Network…Enterprise Europe Network… helps small businesses make the most of the helps small businesses make the most of the

European market placeEuropean market place answers general business questionsanswers general business questions gives information and advice on funding gives information and advice on funding keeps a record of problems faced by businesskeeps a record of problems faced by business

Records around 1000 cases per yearRecords around 1000 cases per year

II. Enterprise Europe Network

Data is collected through assistance servicesData is collected through assistance services

This evidence should be analysed and used to This evidence should be analysed and used to inform future policy-makinginform future policy-making

Traditionally, each service reports individually: Traditionally, each service reports individually: Report on professional qualificationsReport on professional qualifications SOLVIT cases used by Commission services when SOLVIT cases used by Commission services when

preparing legislationpreparing legislation

III. Listen, learn and help Single Market progress

III. Listen, learn and help Single Market progress

Aim is to coordinate feedback reporting and Aim is to coordinate feedback reporting and

make it integrate it better into policy-making make it integrate it better into policy-making

Ongoing ‘feedback report’ by external Ongoing ‘feedback report’ by external

contractor on functioning of the single market:contractor on functioning of the single market: evidence-based, with information from 5 services evidence-based, with information from 5 services broad remit: whole internal market broad remit: whole internal market will make recommendations for future studieswill make recommendations for future studies

III. Listen, learn and help Single Market progress

Next steps: Next steps: Defining common actions in response to obstaclesDefining common actions in response to obstacles

Generating a common discipline to secure delivery Generating a common discipline to secure delivery

under the actions under the actions

Presenting actions clearly: The ‘Top 20’ obstaclesPresenting actions clearly: The ‘Top 20’ obstacles

Further follow up over timeFurther follow up over time

Feedback from assistance services has been and Feedback from assistance services has been and under-utilised source of under-utilised source of evidence for policy work evidence for policy work

It is one source of evidence, but notIt is one source of evidence, but not the only one the only one

It should beIt should be complemented complemented by other formal by other formal measures and informal tools (e.g. surveys) to measures and informal tools (e.g. surveys) to determine the real obstaclesdetermine the real obstacles

How can feedback and other tools be applied toHow can feedback and other tools be applied to identify obstacles in theidentify obstacles in the Baltic Sea Region? Baltic Sea Region?

IV. Conclusions