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Services Directive
From 2010, businesses will benefit from:
- Online licence applications
- Streamlined regulation
- Less red tape
- Wider customer base
The EU Services Directive makes it easier for service businesses to set up or sell their services anywhere in Europe. Most service sectors are covered, such as accountants, builders, vets, travel agents, hairdressers, business consultants…
Service providers will also need to provide a minimum set of information to customers: see
EU Member states were required to implement the Directive by 28 December 2009. BIS leads on implementation in the UK and has worked closely with other Government Departments, the devolved administrations, local authorities, regulators and others in tasks such as screening legislation for compliance with the Directive. We have also worked to establish an online ‘Point of Single Contact’ for service providers to find out about doing business in the UK and apply for licences online.
Are you a business in the services industry?
Click here for information about facilities to apply for licences online
Other Government Departments, Devolved Administrations and Competent Authorities including Local Authorities
We have published practical guidance on how to remain compliant with the continuing obligations of the Services Directive:
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The Directive was brought into UK law by the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, which came into effect on the 28th December 2009. The Regulations affect a very wide range of service businesses. This guidance is aimed at those bodies who set rules or requirements which service providers have to comply with, and those who are involved in authorising service providers (i.e. ‘competent authorities’). These bodies include Government Departments, Devolved Administrations, local authorities, licensing and authorisation bodies and other authorities such as professional bodies or bodies who maintain required registers or deliver required training qualifications. The guidance contains user friendly flowcharts which will guide you through the steps that you need to take, and point you to the sections of the guidance that you will need to look at.
Competent Authorities including Local Authorities
Click these links for other Information for Local Authorities or Information for Competent Authorities.
Click here for a list of formalities within scope of the directive.
Internal Market Information system (IMI): an internet based, secure messaging system developed by the European Commission. Under Article 29 of the Service Directive, Competent Authorities in all EEA Member States are obliged to provide mutual assistance to each other if requested, by electronic means.
All other information can now be found here: ELMS portal: http://elmsportal.businesslink.gov.uk/
Other Government Departments and Devolved Administrations
For the latest Primary Legislation Checklists, click here for our Services Directive Implementation Updates page.
Screening flowcharts and formality lists can now be found on the Legislation pages [link]
Consumers
A new portal has been set up with information about your rights when buying services in other EEA countries. The European Consumer Centre for Services can be found at www.ukecc-services.net
For a copy of the Directive as well as other key documents, please see External Links on the right hand side of this page. If you require further information or would like to receive regular updates, give feedback, ask questions or share views on the Services Directive, please e-mail us at: servicesdirective@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Changes to this part of the site will be listed on this page (you may wish to bookmark) and also notified through Info4local for our local authority audience.
Latest Changes
02 February 2010: We have published our February newsletter for Local Authorities
22 January 2010: We have published our January newsletter for Competent Authorities
8 January 2010: We have published our January newsletter for Local Authorities
17 December 2009: We have published our December technical note
8 December 2009: We have published our December implementation newsletter
19 November 2009: We have published our November technical note
5 November 2009: We have published our November implementation newsletter
22 October 2009: We have published our October technical note
9 October 2009: We have published Guidance for Business on the Provision of Services Regulations, the main law which will implement the Services Directive:
Further information can be found on our Legislation page.
8 October 2009: We have published our October implementation newsletter
18 September 2009: We have published our September technical note
9 September 2009: We have published our September implementation newsletter
7 September 2009: The formality lists and the legislation lists for the UK, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been updated with recent outcomes of the screening exercise.
14 August 2009: We have published screening flowcharts to help guide competent authorities through the steps involved in screening any requirements that they impose on service providers for compliance with the Directive. Screening, including reporting outcomes to BIS, of your procedural rules or other requirements placed on service providers, will need to be completed by 16 October 2009. A link to the flowcharts has been sent to every PLP in England. We will publish separate flowcharts for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland shortly.
10 August 2009: We have published a technical note for local and competent authorities.
6 August 2009: We have published our latest implementation newsletter.
3 August 2009: We have published a technical guidance document for local and non-local competent authorities about how they can collect licence fees electronically and make this work with ELMS (Electronic Licence Management System).
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30 June 2009: We have updated our guidance for local authorities to include an annex with guidance on authenticating applicants using electronic means including the use of digital signatures:
3 June 2009: We have published guidance to help regulatory bodies who have been identified as a "competent authority" within scope of the Directive (separate guidance for local authorities was published earlier):
2 June 2009: We have published flowcharts that set out the process by which an applicant would use the Point of Single Contact to apply for a licence and then have their application processed by either a local authority or a non-local competent authority:
Previous Updates:
We have produced two new leaflets for business which you can download using the links below. The first explains the Directive's key benefits; whilst the second sets out the information and redress requirements that the Directive introduces.
Keeping your customers informed
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We also developed a first set of FAQs from our round of Local Authorities workshops which are available in the "information for local authorities" area. We have also set out further information about which activities are in or out of scope of the directive
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