Together let's change the services directive and preserve the European social model
The Greens support the objective of reducing unjustified obstacles to the free movement of services.
However, they reject the European Commission's growing tendency to renounce the objective of harmonisation towards the top.
The approach of the so-called "Bolkenstein Directive" on services in the internal market, which seeks to remove national regulations without prior harmonisation, was inappropriate.
Therefore the Greens opposed the initially proposed directive and came up with a Green alternative position. The Greens in the European Parliament launched a European Appeal under the heading "Together let's change the services directive and preserve the European Social Model". The appeal calling for a mobilisation on a common platform of amendments which should be adopted by the parliament was signed by MEPs from different political groups, national MPs, organisations as well as several thousands European citizens.
The controversial Services Directive, injecting competition into the European Union's Services Market was approved by the European Parliament on 16 February 2006 leaving the future of public services in question.
Far too many doors have been left ajar for further liberalisation of public services and there are no assurances that the deeply controversial Country of Origin principle is gone.
Find out about our reasons to say no and have a look on our proposals:
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Position paper : Against the Bolkestein Directive: a Green alternative
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European Appeal - Together let's change the services directive ...
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Leaflet "Equal access, conditions and protection" (pdf)