Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen was in Brussels today to attend a meeting of EU Single Market and Industry Ministers to discuss a range of issues related to EU competitiveness, including the Mutual Recognition of Goods within the Single Market, and the Commission’s proposal for the Regulation of Platforms to Business relationships.
In a boost for Irish SMEs, Minister Breen supported the proposal for an EU Regulation on the Mutual Recognition of Goods, which will make it easier for Irish SMEs to sell products such as shoes, jewellery and furniture that are not subject to common EU rules, in other EU countries. This will reduce the administrative burden on indigenous companies seeking to expand into EU markets.
Welcoming agreement at the Council for a General Approach on the Regulation, Minister Breen said:
I believe that the implementation of this Regulation, after it is agreed with the European Parliament, will prove to be of benefit to Irish small businesses ensuring that goods moving across the EU are not subject to unnecessary barriers to trade. The measures contained in the proposed Regulation represent a positive step towards achieving this objective and make it easier for SMEs to do business.
At the Council, Ministers also discussed the Commissions’ proposed Regulation on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation service i.e. Platforms to Business. The Proposal aims to establish a fair, trusted and innovation-driven ecosystem in the online platform economy in the EU and contribute to a strengthened, better-functioning Digital Single Market in terms of innovation, competitiveness, growth and jobs.
The scope of the Regulation covers online platform intermediaries and general online search engines that provide their services to businesses established in the EU and that offer goods or services to consumers located in the EU.
On the proposed Regulation, Minister Breen said:
Ireland supports the need for further transparency measures in the platform economy on a proportionate basis, however these must not come at the expense of stifled innovation or the infringement of existing intellectual property rights. I believe that the Regulation must create an innovation-friendly legal environment for both online platforms and business users, particularly SMEs, allowing them to operate at a larger scale without creating further undue administrative burden.
While in Brussels, the Minister availed of the opportunity to meet bilaterally with his Czech, German and UK ministerial counterparts to share Ireland’s views on Single Market and Digital Single Market matters.