The Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU will organise, together with the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade and CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU, a seminar on the Implementation of the Services Directive. The event will take place on Thursday 4 November 2010 from 09:30 to 13:00 at the Czech Permanent Representation.

The seminar will be opened by the Czech Ambassador to the EU Milena Vicenová and closed by the Deputy Ambassador Jana Reinišová. Among the key speakers will be European Commissioner Michel Barnier, whose portfolio includes services.

The event follows a very successful seminar devoted to Points of Single Contact, organised by the Czech Permanent Representation earlier this year.

The main goal of the seminar is to examine the state of implementation of the Services Directive across EU Member States, especially on the basis of practical experience of entrepreneurs and SMEs. The Directive came into effect at the end of 2009 and it is now a good opportunity to discover what impact the Directive has had, if businesses really experience the advantages and simplifications promised by the Directive, if they make use of Points of Single Contact etc.

The event is highly topical not least for the fact that it takes place shortly after the Commission published the so-called Single Market Act. This proposal is intended to be an important step towards the completion of EU’sSingle Market, of which services are a significant part.

More information:

• Seminar programme and list of speakers (pdf)

_{Foto: Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU}