EU Attempts to Open Services Market by JAN SLIVA
BRUSSELS, Belgium — When Czech construction company Metrostav bid for a contract to build a fuel pipeline in western Germany last year, the response from authorities was clear: We prefer German speakers. Although the international project was to be partly financed by NATO, Germany required companies applying for the job to provide contract material and conduct all negotiations in German. Metrostav, blocked from taking part due to labor restrictions, filed a lawsuit.
Now the European Union is trying to remove obstacles that prevent businesses from offering services in a country other their own. A landmark and sometimes contentious bill, drafted as part of a drive to increase the EU's competitiveness, comes before the European Parliament next week and officials say it is likely to pass. "We must get rid of all discriminatory measures and ensure free provision of services," said French conservative deputy Jacques Tubon. "That's what the common market is about."
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