With the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) drawing close, the delegation of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) of the European Parliament (EP) paid a visit to the Seimas where they discussed with Members of the Seimas issues related to the introduction of advanced innovations into businesses, ensuring of consumer interests and public procurements.

 

 

Delegation of the European Parliament met with Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs; Julius Sabatauskas, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Legal Affairs; Artūras Skardžius, Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Economics; and other Members of the three Committees. Photo by Olga Posaškova (Office of the Seimas)

 

Malcolm Harbour, Chair of IMCO, stressed that it was vital for the EP to maintain dialogue with national Parliaments and to know how EU legal acts operate within the internal markets of EU Member States.

“Cooperation by enhancing the EU internal market and ensuring better consumer protection at the European and national parliamentary levels is vital and necessary for the Seimas. We seek efficient solutions to the existing problems,” said Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, during the meeting. “Lithuania currently focuses on the implementation of three requirements under the Services Directive related to alcohol and tobacco control and regulation of tourism services and corporate bankruptcy.”

Julius Sabatauskas, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Legal Affairs, also present at the meeting, says that alternative and online dispute resolution initiatives by the European Commission are important for Lithuania. They aim at solving disputes between consumers and traders through out-of-court dispute resolution entities. Besides, it is expected that an internet website – the online dispute resolution (ODR) platform – supervised by the Commission will be established enabling consumers or buyers to submit a complaint online in all EU official languages on the goods or services they purchased. The Chair of the Committee believes that the ODR platform will be particularly important to consumers.

Members of the IMCO delegation note that the ODR platform will be launched no sooner than in 2 years; however, it is long awaited not only by consumers but also by small businesses interested in speedy and low-cost dispute resolution between traders and consumers.

Artūras Skardžius, Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Economics, informs the MEPs that the Seimas Committee on Economics has considered and approved the Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package proposed by the Commission. However, the Committee has expressed its concern over some provisions on the establishment of an administrative system for reference laboratories which might mean an increase in costs for businesses. Mr Skardžius says that emergence of reference laboratories might prevent incentives to develop a network of accredited laboratories and undermine the trust in accreditation and the system of notified bodies established by the Goods Package.

Mr Harbour, Chair of IMCO, says that Lithuania is one step ahead of the European Parliament on this matter, because the EP has not yet started formal debates on the Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package proposed by the Commission. He is ready to take into consideration the concerns expressed by the Lithuanian parliamentarians.

The MEPs underline that the issues discussed at the meeting can be included in the agenda of the Lithuanian Presidency as particularly important matters.

The EP IMCO delegation: Malcolm Harbour, Chair of the Committee, UK (European Conservatives and Reformists Group); Evelyne Gebhardt, Germany (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament); Andreas Schwab, Germany (Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)); Róza Thun und Hohenstein, Poland (Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)).

IMCO is one of the EP Committees which, together with the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, is responsible for competition policy and consumer welfare matters. Identification and removal of potential obstacles arising to the EU single market, as well as promotion and defence of economic interests of consumers fall within the competence of IMCO. IMCO aims to determine clear rules for businesses and simplify the rules applied to small businesses thereby facilitating their market opportunities to create, sell or deliver services, as well as to ensure that people willing to work, learn or start-up businesses could settle in any place in the EU. IMCO was the initiator of the Single Market Act which aims at giving a fresh impetus to the single market.

Asta Markevičienė, Public Relations Unit, tel: +370 5 239 6202, e-mail: [email protected]