| Author (Person) | Chapman, Peter |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.10, No.7, 26.2.04 |
| Publication Date | 26/02/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Peter Chapman Date: 26/02/04 THE European Union has finally woken up to the fact that more should be done to nurture the services market that provides more than 60% of its wealth and income, after decades of neglect. Unfortunately, in one case at least, you might have to be dead, or at least bereaved, to reap the benefit. That is because funeral directors across the EU could soon be plying their age-old trade according to pan-European standards. Commission officials who are organizing a Brussels conference on standards in the services on Tuesday 9 March are slightly loath to give it too much publicity, in case the morbid topic puts people off. But the funeral norms are among the first to emerge after Erkki Liikanen, the commissioner for enterprise and the information society, launched an ambitious plan to nurture pan-European standards in the services field. European Voice understands funeral directors will be able to use an off-the-shelf standard describing everything from the chemicals injected into arteries in the embalming process, modalities of burials at sea (apparently very popular in Ireland) and scattering of ashes, to coffin and hearse specifications and price lists. More-cheery case studies at next month's conference are likely to include standards for language translators and diving instructors, already used in the holiday island of Phucket. The sell-out event follows Liikanen's mandate to the Brussels-based European Standardization Committee (CEN) and its specialist counterparts CENELEC (electro-technical standards) and Nice-based ETSI (Telecoms). The trio was asked last October to look at the feasibility of more standards and to set up a work programme showing how they might deliver them. Standards for funeral services may sound like manna from heaven for Eurosceptics schooled in wacky tales of regulation-sized bananas. So why is the Commission so keen to get involved? Liikanen aides insist the standards drive is more designed to help businesses and consumers rather than hinder them with reams of rules and regulations. They say his move is a lesser-known complement to the radical directive launched recently by Frits Bolkestein, the commissioner for the internal market, aimed at removing swathes of legal barriers to the service sector across the Union. In the case of funeral directors, they must abide by strict foreign rules when they prepare bodies for repatriation to other member states, or even if they drive coffins across borders in frontier regions. The intention of Liikanen's effort, say officials, is to set pan-European standards whenever trade associations or national standards institutes see added value. In many cases, Europe's increasingly mobile consumers - including 'B2B' (business to business) clients - would for the first time have a useful yardstick to compare different offers between companies. The increased transparency, in turn, ought to help raise general levels of service and cross-border competition. More generally, the whole process of complying with EU standards is likely to have positive spin-offs on the business process - from staff training to quality assurance. Under the system, firms wishing to take up the standards would be able to ask certification bodies to check that they are in compliance. Workers trained to EU standard levels would also be able to move better from country to country, carrying a more easily recognizable set of skills with them. Officials insist the new standards will not be mandatory - even though they would be legally recognized across the Union. "The Commission is just looking at ways of kicking-off the single market and avoiding barriers to trade," explained one expert. "We are trying to promote a body of European standards that people can voluntarily use," he added. The EU executive has the power to propose legislation that sets down essential requirements for specific sectors, from telecoms to pressure valves, which are deemed to be met by firms that comply with a specific EU standard. But the prospect of issuing any so-called new approach directives in the services field "has not even been looked at", confirmed one official. Other areas deemed ripe for standardization range from tour operators and grumpy telesales staff - though recent outsourcing trends mean companies meeting standards in this area are more likely to be based in Bangalore than Berlin. The Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the EU is examining the possibility of transforming its internal standards covering professional indemnity insurance into an EU-wide standard - a potential boon for customers and practitioners alike. Security firms are reportedly interested in setting common levels of service - including details such as the types of dogs they are allowed to use. Even real estate agents - the legendary domain of surly European staff - are reportedly showing an interest. It may be too soon to get too excited about the standards drive. But, you never know. EU citizens used to being treated with contempt might one day see American levels of service. Repeat after me, with a smile: "Have a nice day, je vous souhaite une bonne journée, einen schönen guten Tag." Preview of the issues to be discussed at a 'European Standardization for Services' Workshop, Brussels, 9 March 2003 |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Internal Markets |
