WRITTEN QUESTION E-3471/00 by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Internal market for professional services.
Date: 2000-11-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competition, domestic market, freedom to provide services, liberal profession, restriction on competition

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/131

political criteria require (cid:145)stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and
respect for and protection of minorities(cid:146). The standards of protection of human rights are therefore taken
into consideration by the Commission in its assessment of Romania(cid:146)s progress towards accession to the
Community. Such an assessment was recently made by the Commission in the (cid:145)2000 Regular Report on
Romania(cid:146)s progress towards accession(cid:146) (1).

Romania has also ratified the European Convention on human rights in 1994 and its protocols, and is
therefore bound by the obligations that follow from these texts. The conditions for expulsion of residential
foreigners are regulated in Article 1, Protocol 7 of the Convention. Since Romania has also recognised the
jurisdiction of the Court of human rights, a case can be brought before this court for a violation of the
Convention and its protocols. However, such an action can only be admitted after all domestic remedies
have been exhausted.

In the latest regular report the Commission concluded that Romania on the whole fulfils the Copenhagen
political criteria but that further progress still needs to be made in reforming legislation related to political
and civil rights.

The Commission assists Romania and monitors its progress towards fulfilling the conditions for accession
to the Community. In this particular case the Commission notes that the Romanian judicial system has
been able to redress the situation and annul an expulsion order that it found contrary to Romanian
legislation.

(1) COM(2000) 710 final.

(2001/C 163 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3471/00

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 November 2000)

Subject: Internal market for professional services

What steps is the European Commission taking to identify and eliminate barriers erected by certain liberal
professions to distort competition for the provision of professional services within the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2000)

In order to better identify the restrictions placed on competition by national legislation and by the liberal
professions and in order to better direct its competition policy in this area, the Commission has decided to
launch a study, the results of which will be known next year. This study will thrown light on the rules
governing certain liberal professions in the Member States and on the impact of such rules on competition.

At the same time it is abolishing restrictive practices,
in the area of price-fixing and
restrictions on advertising, on the basis of complaints it receives from users of the services of the liberal
professions.

in particular,

By using its decision-making and administrative procedures to apply the EC Treaty(cid:146)s competition rules, the
Commission aims to draw a clear-cut line, in the case of each liberal profession, between the professional
ethics which are outside its scope and the restrictive rules which fall within its scope.

The Commission also ensures that Member States repeal legislation which authorises or strengthens the
impact of restrictive practices followed by the liberal professions.