Making the EU Services Market an Engine for Growth

The internal market is the core economic driver of the European Union. It is amongsour most effective means to improve the conditions for greater growth and investment in Europe. The services sector plays a central part in our economy, accounting for over 70 percent of EU GDP.

Nevertheless, several service sectors are showing low productivity growth and an inefficient allocation of resources. At the same time, automation and digitalisation are changing the way services are offered and used. Against this background the Commission wants to assess the current state of the EU services market and the remaining barriers.

The conference wants to bring together representatives from international and European institutions, think tanks, academia, industry, NGOs and labour and consumer organisations. It is aimed for stakeholders who wish to contribute into shaping the European policy making on services.

Agenda

Among the speakers of the conference are: Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs,  Philippe Aghion, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Jyrki Katainen, Commission´s Vice-President  and Henrik Enderlein, Professor at Hertie School of Governance and Director at Jacques Delors Institut - Berlin.

The Jacques Delors Institut – Berlin and the Bertelsmann Stiftung have published a policy paper on the same topic which can be accessed here.

More information as well as the detailed agenda of the conference can be found here.