Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-01-20-Speech-4-201"
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"en.20000120.12.4-201"2
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"Mr President, I would like to outline the position reached by Mr Nobilia and myself, both of us members of a special group within the UEN Group.
We believe that the issue raised by Mrs Palacio Vallelersundi is, perhaps, one of the main problems that the internal market must face. Regulations in this area are flawed and inappropriate, and instead of providing overall operational certainty and uniform legal protection of the consumer, they leave much room for groundless discretion and uncertainty.
This is certainly the case as regards the subject the questioner gave as an example – e-commerce – and along with this, sales procedures, purchasers’ rights, their option to withdraw and, at the same time, varying levels of tax levied on the sale itself. However, this issue also affects numerous other areas: the electronic components sector – as a further example – where production might take place in several countries, including ones not in the Union, with storage and/or the affixing of the trademark in one Member State and final assembly in yet another Member State. Moreover, the problem is not so much the reliability of the individual components or their compliance with the legislation of the importing or producing state as their overall conformity with the notion of greater flexibility.
The European Union firmly supports this view, especially if the countries of residence of the end consumers have, with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of the economic operators operating in Europe
attributed specific characteristics to
the product on the basis of clear and pre-determined characteristics and ones which, in any case, supplement those established by the Union.
The concept I have just explained is clearly illustrated by the agri-food sector where, with particular regard to place of origin and following derogations granted on this matter to the Member States, there is greater focus on the information which features on the label of the product intended for final sale.
It is clear that such a situation not only leads to uncertainty, but at the same time distorts competition to the detriment of small and medium-sized businesses, not through proper compliance with the relevant national law but because of the fewer opportunities accorded to them precisely because of the shortcomings of Community legislation.
It is also clear that the persistence of such a disadvantage for small and medium-sized businesses gives rise to fears of repercussions on employment which, in this specific case, cannot be allayed by simplifying administrative procedures, reducing set-up costs
or involving the social partners and their resources.
All of this means that, as well as drafting various regulations on the issues raised and on specific matters relating to this area, we must also consolidate the requisite overall view and the legislative philosophy that serves as a real means of regulating the internal market and which provides an effective point of reference for the Member States and for every economic operator.
In conclusion, we believe that, in addition to the monitoring of fragmentation performed by the Commission – truly praiseworthy work as far as the process of the approximation of national laws is concerned – we must make every effort to ensure a more correct assimilation and a more accurate translation of the mandate conferred by the Council of Vienna, which was subsequently confirmed with specific regard to the internal market, with the aim of improving the European legal reference framework and that for competition, alongside
the elimination of barriers to trade and the improvement of services."@en1
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