Points of Single Contact
Points of Single Contact (PSCs) are e-government portals that allow service providers to get the information they need and complete administrative procedures online. They are managed by the ‘EUGO network’ of national coordinators.
If you want to
- explore business opportunities or expand your services to another EU country
- set up a new business abroad
- find out about the rules and formalities that apply
- complete the administrative procedures online
Then the Points of Single Contact are for you.
More information
PSCs provide national information to help you deal with a wide range of practical issues:
- licences, notifications or permits needed to start a business
- requirements for offering services on a temporary basis
- recognition of professional qualifications and regulated professions
- labour and social laws
- rules for public procurement
PSCs also provide information on procedures and make them available online:
- how to introduce an application
- which organisation is responsible for dealing with applications
- what is the cost of applying
- how long does it take to get a reply
Although EU countries are not legally obliged to make tax and social security procedures available through the PSCs, a large number of EU countries already do this and the others are encouraged to do so as well.
Background
The EU Services Directive establishes PSCs for entrepreneurs active in the service sector.
Since December 2009 it is a legal requirement to have a PSC in every EU country. All national PSCs are part of the European ‘EUGO network’. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway participate on a voluntary basis.
The aim of the PSCs is to help the European service sector reap the benefits of the Single Market by making national information on rules and formalities, and national procedures available online.
Since 2014, the PSC charter encourages EU countries to make their PSCs more business-friendly by introducing guidelines on:
- quality and availability of information provided
- completion of electronic procedures
- accessibility for cross-border users
- usability
In addition, the Communication on the implementation of the Services Directive calls for EU countries to develop PSCs that:
- cover all procedures during the business life cycle
- are multilingual
- are more user-friendly
The PSCs are included in the proposal to set up a ‘Single Digital Gateway’. The proposal introduces additional requirements on quality, availability and user-friendliness of information, and cross-border access to procedures.
The performance of the PSCs is measured annually in the Single Market Scoreboard.
Links
- Final report of the assessment of the performance of the PSCs (June 2015)
- Conference, ‘Doing business made easier? Making the most of the Points of Single Contact’ (September 2011)
- Points of Single Contact - research study (assessments and best practices) (April 2011)
- Video: Representatives of some PSCs explain the benefits of the service