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Overview
We need to improve our knowledge of risks related to specific consumer services.
The service sector
The service sector is the driving force for economic growth in the EU: it accounts for around 70% of GDP and employment in the majority of Member States.
Services are to be found in all areas of modern economies. They range from traditional demand-based service sectors such as transport, telecommunications,
tourism and the regulated professions, to more recently developed services such as waste management, energy conservation, business services and data processing.
Safety rules
Some specific services involve risks to the health and physical safety of the consumer, for example, injuries caused by a lack of information, poor supervision of
organised adventurous sports activities or skin damage from beauty treatments.
At the moment, many safety rules for services are set at national level. The transport sector is an example of a sector for which many rules also exist at European level.
Information is needed
It is as yet unclear whether it is necessary to harmonise the safety rules for services in general at EU level.
A Report on the Safety of Services for Consumers concluded that there is not sufficient data and information on risk and safety aspects of services. Consequently,
the priority for Community action is first of all to improve the knowledge base.
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Report on the safety of services
On 6 June 2003 the Commission adopted a report on the safety of services for consumers. The report highlighted gaps in the availability of data on
service safety, and suggested improving the knowledge base.
The report was based on a public consultation conducted by the Commission in 2002. The purpose of the public consultation was to help the Commission to assess the
existing situation and highlight policy options for future action. More than 60 public authorities, consumer organisations and business associations responded. The high number of
replies indicated a high level of interest in the safety of services.
The 2003 report highlighted gaps in the availability of data on service safety and risks. The report suggests improving the
knowledge base on accidents related to specific services as a priority and possibly introducing a legal
framework aimed at monitoring and supporting national consumer policies.
The report was discussed in Council, and on 1 December 2003 the Council adopted
Resolution 2003/C 299/01
which mandates Commission action to improve the safety of services for consumers.
(2003) Report on the Safety of Services for Consumers
(115KB)
Consultation paper
(200KB)
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National policies on the safety of services
At national level, there is no uniform approach or policy in place on the safety of services.
About half of the Member States have not yet defined ‘safety of services’ as a general policy category, focusing instead on safety aspects in specific sectors,
buildings or locations, or on safety at work. Others have introduced general legislation defining general safety requirements supplemented by sector-specific legislation. There
are also considerable differences in administrative organisation and procedures applicable across the EU.
The Commission has produced two working papers that provide an overview of current legislation on the safety of services.
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The first document analyses the situation in the 15 'old' Member States plus Iceland and Norway;
(2002) Commission Staff Working Paper: Policies on Safety of Services in Member States
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The second document, dating from 2004, provides a summary of the legislation on the safety of services in the new Member States and the (then) acceding countries:
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.
The second document concludes that the situation in these countries seems to be broadly in line with the situation in the old Member States. But voluntary measures and formalised best practice in the area of safety of services seem less developed.
(2004) Policies on the Safety of Services in the Acceding and Candidate Countries
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EU documents on the safety of services
Services - Commission Staff Working Paper (2004): Policies on the Safety of Services in the Acceding and Candidate Countries
Services - Commission Report (2003)
Services - Council Resolution 2003/C299/01
Services - Consultation paper (2002)
Services - Commission Staff Working Paper (2002): Policies on Safety of Services in (15) Member States
Services - Fire safety in hotels - Commission report on the application of the Recommendation (2001)
Services - Fire safety in hotels - Recommendation 86/666/EEC
Services - Dangerous sports and leisure activities
Services – Fairground and Amusement Parks Assessment of Best Practices
Services – Liability of service providers – Report:
Data collection - Improving the product and service safety dimension in the European Injury
Database (IDB) (2006)
Data collection – “Study on the methodology for service safety data collection” (2005)
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