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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Points of Single Contact

Points of Single Contact (PSCs) are e-government portals that allow service providers to get the information they need and complete administrative procedures online. They are managed by the ‘EUGO network’ of national coordinators.

If you want to

  • explore business opportunities or expand your services to another EU country
  • set up a new business abroad
  • find out about the rules and formalities that apply
  • complete the administrative procedures online

Then the Points of Single Contact are for you. You will find them through the Assistance Service Finder on the Your Europe portal.

PSCs provide national information to help you deal with a wide range of practical issues:

  • licences, notifications or permits needed to start a business
  • requirements for offering services on a temporary basis
  • recognition of professional qualifications and regulated professions
  • labour and social laws
  • rules for public procurement

PSCs also provide information on procedures and make them available online:

  • how to introduce an application
  • which organisation is responsible for dealing with applications
  • what is the cost of applying
  • how long does it take to get a reply

Also certain tax and social security procedures listed in Annex II of the Single Digital Gateway Regulation must be available online and findable through the Your Europe portal.

Background

The EU Services Directive establishes PSCs for entrepreneurs active in the service sector.

Since December 2009 it is a legal requirement to have a PSC in every EU country. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have set up PSCs on a voluntary basis.

Since 2014, the PSC charter encourages EU countries to make their PSCs more business-friendly by introducing guidelines on:

  • quality and availability of information provided
  • completion of electronic procedures
  • accessibility for cross-border users
  • usability

In addition, the Communication on the implementation of the Services Directive calls for EU countries to develop PSCs that:

  • cover all procedures during the business life cycle
  • are multilingual
  • are more user-friendly

The PSCs are also one of the assistance services that form part of the Single Digital Gateway which helps Europeans navigate the Single Market through online information and a range of e-government services. Your Europe is the public interface of the Single Digital Gateway.

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