Emneområder

The IMCO Working Group on the Digital Single Market (IMCO WG on the DSM) was set up by the IMCO Coordinators a long time ago, in 2011, during the 7th Legislature of the European Parliament.

Under the rules adopted by EP and Council on 29.04. 2015 (Regulation 2015/758/EU), all new models of cars and light vans will have to be fitted with emergency call devices that automatically alert rescue services to car crashes (eCall) by 31.03.2018. The eCall will dial 112 (the Europe's single emergency number) and communicate vehicle's location to emergency services, even if the driver is unconscious or unable to make a phone call. It is estimated that it could save up to 2500 lives a year.

Under rules adopted by the EP and the Council on 7.12. 2015, Member States are required to improve their cybersecurity capabilities and to cooperate more closely together in order to address potential security risks. The directive also requires operators of essential services in the energy, transport, banking and healthcare sectors, and providers of key digital services like search engines and cloud computing, to take appropriate security measures and report incidents to national authorities.

Following an agreement at first reading, on 25 October 2012 the European Parliament and the Council adopted a regulation (Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012) that lays down the rules governing the use of the Internal Market Information System for the implementation of administrative cooperation between the Member States' competent authorities and between the Member States' competent authorities and the Commission.

The EP is working to remove motor vehicle registration problems for citizens moving from one Member State (MS) to another within the Single Market. The EC proposal from 2012 will harmonise, streamline, and simplify the procedures for re-registration of motor vehicles registered in another MS. Notwithstanding the progressing integration of the Single Market, motor vehicle registration problems remain a frequent obstacle for citizens when exercising their rights under EU law in their daily lives.

The IMCO Committee has considered the Commission's proposal on electronic invoicing ('e-invoicing') in public procurement. The proposal seeks to establish a common EU-wide standard for e-invoices that all contracting authorities and entities must accept, even though they may continue to use other national standards and systems.

Alongside the on-going reform of public procurement, the IMCO committee considered the Commission proposal on concessions contracts. This initiative sought to ensure a more efficient allocation of public money by establishing a single instrument regulating the competitive award of concessions contracts.

The IMCO Committee has considered the Commission's proposals for a modernisation of the EU public procurement rules (rapporteur: Marc Tarabella, S&D). This included the revision of Directive 2004/18/EC ("Classic Directive") on procurement by public authorities, and of Directive 2004/17/EC on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors ("Utilities Directive"), as well as a new instrument for the award of concessions contracts.

Following the Commission's 2012 Communication on Better Governance for the Single Market, IMCO prepared a legislative own-initiative report on Governance of the Single Market (Rapporteur: Andreas Schwab (EPP)) which was adopted in plenary on 7 February 2013, putting forward recommendations on how the Single Market could be further improved and asking that a Single Market pillar be put in place within the European Semester for economic policy coordination.

The UCC (adopted in 2013) is applicable as from 1.05.16 subject to appropriate supplementing/implementing acts being put into place. These acts together with the UCC form a legal package which aims to improve the functioning of the EU customs union as a whole by enhancing the uniform application of the customs regulation throughout the customs territory of EU by the MS’ national customs services. Rapp.: P. Juvin (EPP) Shadows: V. Rozière (S&D), D. Dalton (ECR), K. Kallas (ALDE), Reda (Greens).