REC welcomes proposed EU services directive

Today, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) welcomed the UK Governmentís consultation on the EU Services Directive.

The REC (the UKís recruitment industry body) supports the overall aim of the Directive, which aims to introduce measures for cutting through the red tape restricting service provision in the EU. The REC believe this is essential in order to make it easier for service providers to set themselves up in different EU member states and to provide services across internal EU borders.

The Directive will have a direct impact on UK recruitment agencies looking to expand operations and provide recruitment services in other EU countries. However, the need to facilitate the provision of services across the EU is counter-balanced by the need to ensure a certain level of quality control and consistency of services provided. The EU Services Directive should not be used as a means of promoting increased EU legislation aimed at artificially guaranteeing certain standards and levels of protection.

Commenting on the proposed Directive, Tom Hadley, Head of External Relations at the REC, said:

ìIn view of the European targets on job creation and competitiveness, recruitment is one area of service provision which should be encouraged throughout the EU. However, the Directive should, under no circumstances, be used as a leverage to introduce the current draft of the EU Agency Workers Directive, which would have a devastating effect on the UK recruitment industry in its current form. The negative impact of this would outweigh any positive impact that the EU Services Directive would bring.î

For further information, please contact the REC press office on 020 7618 9106