Information Society services: procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules

OBJECTIVE : the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive is designed to set up a transparency mechanism introducing a procedure for the supply of information and administrative cooperation between national and Community authorities regarding rules and regulations on Information Society services. SUBSTANCE : the transparency mechanism proposed by the Commission pursues the following objectives: (a) ensuring the smooth functioning of the internal market for Information Society services by preventing the creation of new obstacles; (b) ensuring an equivalent level of protection of general-interest objectives between Member States; (c) establishing more clearly and reducing the need for new Community rules and regulations; (d) facilitating administrative cooperation; (e) contributing to the stability of the regulatory framework, a prerequisite for stimulating the development of the Information Society. In concrete terms, each Member State would have to communicate to the Commission and the other Member States any draft national rules and regulations on Information Society services: their entry into force would be conditional upon a minimum standstill period of three months for verification of the consistency and compatibility of the draft with existing Community law, including internal market rules. A committee would administer the procedure.�