EU Directives (Hansard, 8 September 2003)

§ Ruth Kelly

The Treasury plays a leading role in the UK's EU policy on financial services and tax. Since 8 June 2001, the Treasury has led on the implementation of 13 directives:

Directive 98/4/EC, amending Directive 98/38/EEC co-ordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors. Implemented by the Utilities Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/2418) effective 26 July 2001; Directive 2000/46/EC on the taking-up, pursuit of and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions (implementation date: 27 April 2002); Directive 2000/28/EC, amending Directive 2000/12/EC relating to the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions (implementation date: 27 April 2002); Directive 2001/44/EC, amending Directive 76/308/EEC on mutual assistance for the recovery of claims resulting from operations forming part of the system of financing the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, and of agricultural levies and customs duties and in respect of value added tax and certain excise duties (implementation date: 24 July 2002); Directive 2000/31/EC on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market ("Directive on electronic commerce") (implemented by the Treasury as regards matters within the scope of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: implementation date: 21 August 2002); Directive 2000/26/EC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles and amending Council Directives 73/239/EEC and 88/357/EEC (Fourth Motor Insurance Directive) (implementation date: 19 January 2003); Directive 2001/78/EC of 13 September 2001 amending Annex IV to Council Directive 93/36/EEC, Annexes IV, V and VI to Council Directive 93/37/EEC, Annexes III and IV to Council Directive 92/50/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/52/EC, and Annexes XII to XV, XVII and XVIII to Council Directive 93/38/EEC, as amended by Directive 98/4/EC (Directive on the use of standard forms in the publication of public contract notices) (implementation date: 4 February 2003); Directive 2002/38/EC and regulation 792/2002 regarding value added tax arrangements applicable to electronically supplied services and broadcasting; Directive 2002/10/EC concerning the structure and rates of excise duty applied on manufactured tobacco; Directive 2001/115/EC with a view to simplifying, modernising and harmonising the conditions laid down for VAT invoicing; Commission decision 2001/574, following directive 95/60/EC, establishing a common fiscal marker for gas oils and kerosene; Directive 2000/64/EC, amending various other Directives, with regard to the exchange of information with third countries. Implemented by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information)(Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/693) effective 3 April 2003; Directive 2001/17/EC on the reorganisation and winding up of insurance undertakings. Implemented (except as regards Lloyd's) by the Insurers (Reorganisation and Winding Up) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1102) effective 20 April 2003. I am not aware of any further directives being implemented since 8 June 2001, but the Department does not keep a single record of this information and it could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.