The European Union came a step closer to adopting a law aimed at liberalizing the market for services across the union Tuesday, when the 25 national governments signed up to a text almost identical to the one agreed by members of the European Parliament last month.The services directive—often dubbed the Bolkestein directive after former commissioner Frits Bolkestein, who launched the proposal—aims to create a single market for services across the union.But it has sparked intense debate, with critics claiming that the law would result in the dumbing down of employment protection and working practices to levels experienced in the poorest countries in the union.Meanwhile, the draft law’s most ardent supporters believe the compromise text proposed by the European Parliament falls short of the original aim to create a seamless single market for all services. The commission welcomed the agreement reached by national governments. Charlie McCreevy, Bolkestein’s successor, is “delighted,” spokesman Oliver Drewes said Tuesday.“We must concentrate on getting the law passed now,” he said, adding that this should be possible by the end of this year. Once agreed at the European Union level, directives must then be transposed into national statute books. Normally, member states are given 18 months to two years to do this, but the national governments agreed they should be given three years to adopt the controversial services directive in their countries.“I am delighted that companies and consumers across Europe are now set to benefit from competition and choice in services,” said Malcolm Harbour, a member of the European Parliament from the right-of-center European People’s Party. The law will encourage companies to move into new markets and will make it easier for them to get necessary information and complete procedures to operate in neighboring European countries, Harbour said. The directive will now return to the European Parliament for a second reading, and it is expected to have a speedy passage into final approval. “We have finally made a start in this never-ending story, Harbour said. “Now, there is a chance to convince the public that the services directive is a good step forward,” he said.-Paul Meller, IDG News Service For related news coverage, read EU Called Wrong to Allow Passenger Data Release.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software Why data virtualization is critical for business success Data is your most valuable resource—but only if you can access it fast enough to address present challenges. Data virtualization is the key. By Milan Shetti, CEO of Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software The hybrid approach: Get the best of both mainframe and cloud Cloud computing and modernization often go hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean the mainframe should be left behind. A hybrid approach offers the most value, enabling businesses to get the best of both worlds. By Milan Shetti, CEO Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street Dear Oracle Cloud…I need my own space Access results from a recent Rimini Street survey about why enterprises are rethinking their Oracle relationship and cloud strategy. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cloud Computing brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street How to evolve IT systems into innovation engines Today’s IT leaders are more than eager to modernize with best-fit cloud solutions that drive innovation and rapid business impact, but they need to do so with ROI-based solutions. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe