Businesses in around two-thirds of the services sector, including those in the hospitality industry, will soon be able to take greater advantage of European markets thanks to the EU Services Directive.

As an EU* business you will benefit from:

- Online licence applications through a Point of Single Contact in every country to establish legal requirements for operating locally.

- Streamlined regulation, including greater recognition of licences in other European countries

- Less red tape as European countries remove unnecessary barriers to business

- A wider customer base.

Business Minister Ian Lucas notes that "the market for services in Europe is opening up. It's important that UK firms are ready to grasp the opportunities this presents for new jobs and growth." Mr. Lucas added that opening up European markets for services would also be good news for consumers with greater choice and lower prices.

For example a UK based hotel chain wishes to open a hotel in Portugal. The company would be able to identify the Point of Single Contact web portal in Portugal by the EUGO link which is the EU* wide branding for Points of Single Contact. There they would be able to find out what authorisations, if any, they need to establish in Portugal, apply online and start operating and building a wider customer base.

Similarly, a German catering and hospitality company wants to offer their services to a business in the UK. The German company can find information on the requirements to offer their services in the UK within the UK's portal designed for overseas access, www.businesslink.gov.uk/ukwelcomes. The German company would then be able to find out what authorisations they might need in the UK and apply online.

To ensure consumers anywhere in Europe consider buying services, in this case the hospitality industry, the Services Directive will ensure they have access to a minimum amount of information no matter where in Europe a business is based. This would lead to a wider customer base as those from outside of Britain would be more likely to consider service operators outside of their own country.

From the end of 2009, businesses will have to ensure that clients have access to certain information about the service they provide. The requirements are simple and should not need businesses to take much action to fulfil them.

The Services Directive comes into force across the EU on 28 December 2009.

You can also visit www.bis.gov.uk/servicesdirective for more details including FAQs and the recently published business guidance document or e-mail [email protected] with any queries.

* The Directive applies across the European Economic Area, i.e. EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.