25 October Internal Market Council

Date: 31/10/1996

INTERNAL market ministers clashed over European Commission plans to prevent national rules from blocking information society services, with France leading the opposition. It voiced the reservations of several delegations that more thought was needed on the proposal that all national rules in the information society sector should be vetted to ensure they did not impede or segment the evolving European market. Vetting would be carried out by the Commission and national governments working together. The proposed directive would be the Commission's first law aimed specifically at the information society.

COMMISSIONER Mario Monti unveiled Commission plans for its biggest-ever publicity campaign to explain how the single market can help ordinary people in their daily lives. The Citizens First campaign will be launched in Brussels on 26 November. An Internet web site, telephone hot lines, and guides to all aspects of the single market in the Union's main languages (and minority languages such as Gaelic) form part of the campaign. It aims to give basic information on working, studying and buying goods in other EU countries, together with advice on the different health, social security, equality, and safety rules that apply.

MINISTERS agreed to allow the Commission to open talks with Norway on a customs accord. The agreement would build on the already close cooperation between the EU and Norway. Under the proposed accord, Norwegian customs officials would carry out checks, do paperwork and collect revenue on behalf of the EU at customs posts in remote sparsely-populated regions. Some governments had to be persuaded to support the proposal after initial worries about handing over EU responsibilities to a non-member state.

TOUGHER safety standards for cars in frontal collisions were approved by ministers without discussion. The draft directive on frontal impact protection for cars will bring in resistance standards for all new vehicle types approved after 1 October 1998, together with more realistic test procedures. Ministers accepted all 13 amendments proposed by the European Parliament. The draft directive aims to cut the number of deaths and injuries from accidents and dovetails with another which has already been agreed on side-on collisions.

A REPORT on Commission moves to streamline and simplify internal market legislation should be ready early in November, Monti told ministers. The Simplification of Legislation in the Internal Market (SLIM) exercise was launched in February with four pilot programmes aimed at easing the burden of EU rules. These cover the collection of EU trade figures, mutual recognition of diplomas, legislation on construction goods and phytosanitary rules on ornamental plants.