The European Union as a market for professional services

The European Union (EU) is the largest importer and exporter of services and plays a dominant role in the global services economy. Although such key economic indicators suggest the EU's services market is open to both EU and non-EU service providers alike, a number of administrative, legal and regulatory barriers remain in place-potentially restricting cross-border trade in services, in particular in the professional services sector. In order to overcome these potential trade barriers, the EU has adopted a number of legislative measures to improve the operation of its internal services market. The EU Services Directive and the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications aim to make the EU a more open and efficient marketplace for EU service providers, notably for professional services providers. The EU's long-lasting process in providing market access and the recognition of professional qualifications for EU professionals underscores the difficulties of creating a well-integrated economy by progressively reducing the member states' competences and prerogatives. This process also emphasises the challenges faced by non-EU service providers attempting to provide professional services across EU member states. This article critically examines the effectiveness of the EU as a market for professional services for both EU and non-EU professionals, and argues that there is still much work to be done in the implementation of these directives before the EU achieves its aim as a leader in the global market for professional services.