Activities of Thomas HÄNDEL related to 2012/2144(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Internal Market for Services: State of Play and Next Steps PDF (196 KB) DOC (114 KB)
Amendments (16)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas ouran effective single market is the highwith adequate social protection arrangements can be one way out of the crisis;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas a more competitive services market is necessary for European industry;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Services Directive has both brought concrete benefitbenefits and displayed shortcomings since its adoption in 2006, facilitating market access for both business and consumers;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the time has come to act, given that, with rising unemployment, the services sector is more than ever a source of competitiveness, growth and jobs that cannot be neglected;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that red tape, and discriminatory practices and restrictionsrelating to service provision across the EU are depriving citizens of jobs;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that the EU could make a GDP gain of 2.6% in 5-10 years if Member States were ready to implement the Services Directive properly and fully and remove unnecessary restrictionsdifficulties with the Services Directive relating to conflicts with social rights were eliminated and the Member States then implemented the Services Directive properly;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that effective enforcement of existing rules is a smart and fast way of creating growth without public spending; underlines the urgent need to make the directive work in practice and, where appropriate, to improve it where conflicts with employees’ social protection rights arise;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the Services Directive doesmust not force liberalisation but paves the way for both business and consumers to grasp the full potential of ourthe single market without restricting social protection rights and employees’ rights;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets that Member States are often using overriding reasons of public interest (Article15 of the Services Directive) to protect and favour their domestic market; hHighlights the fact that burdensome legal- form and shareholder requirements, territorial restrictions, economic needs tests and fixed tariffs create unjustified obstacles to cross-border establishment;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the diversity of national standards is causing fragmentation; encourages the development of voluntary European standards for services to improve cross- border comparability;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Points out that inadequate implementation has a ‘borderless’ impact, with citizens across the EU paying the price; eEmphasises that all Member States have a responsibility vis-à-vis one another and the Union to effectively enforce the directive and should be confronted with their obligations on an equal footing;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses that competent regional and local authorities must also take their shared responsibility for full and qualitative enforcement beyond the letter of the directive, with the overall aim of stimulating economic activity and creating employment which provides social protection and enables employees to subsist independently;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Highlights the fact that overriding reasons of public interest are too often invoked in a way that damages the internal market for services; regrets that the proportionality assessment is rarely made; aAsks the Commission to clarify the concept of proportionality and issue practical guidance to the Member States on how to apply it;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly supports the Commission’s zero tolerance policy; eEncourages the Commission to make use of all means at its disposal to ensure full enforcement of existing rules, in dialogue with Member States; calls for fast-track infringement procedures to be applied whenever breaches of the directive are identified;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Asks the Commission, on the basis of the outcome of the peer reviews, to list the most burdensomeconspicuous restrictions, propose targeted reforms and instances of discrimination and conflict with social protection rights, propose targeted reforms of the Directive in this regard and keep the Council and Parliament informed;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges the members of the European Council to take full political responsibility for a well functioning internal market for services; invites President Van Rompuy to keep this topic on the European Council’s agenda for as long as it takes, with a commonly agreed roadmap, including specific benchmarks and a timetable for Member States to remosolve remaining hurdproblems;