AA Backs EU Internal Market Conclusions

The Advertising Association has expressed its support for the conclusions of a summit of the European Union held in Barcelona, which could bring the goal of an internal market for services in Europe closer to completion.

At the summit last weekend, leaders of the Member States iterated the importance of following up the communication of the European Community on an Internal Market Strategy For Services with what are described as “necessary concrete actions”. The communication, a product of the 2000 Lisbon Council, set the goal for the EU to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

At the end of 2000 the EC brought forward its plan to identify, analyse and remove barriers to the Internal Market such as the ban on toy advertising in Greece and the restrictions on advertising to children in Sweden.

Andrew Brown, director general of the AA, said: “The AA back wholeheartedly the EU Member States in their endeavours to ensure the removal of barriers that continue to mar the proper functioning of the Internal Market for Services. Moreover the conclusions of the Barcelona Council reaffirm the crucial role that the service industry has to play in ensuring that the EU hits the targets it set itself in Lisbon back in 2000.”

The EC’s Directorate-General for the Internal Market has now stated its intention to produce an interim report on the Strategy this June.

Advertising Association: 020 828 2771 www.adassoc.org.uk

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