Flash Eurobarometer 64 (Managers 14)

Perceived restrictions in business and service activities in the EU.
Views on elimination of trade limitations.
Topics:
position in business;
area of business;
business size;
turnover;
age of business;
contacts and participations in businesses in other European countries;
countries to which the business exports within the EU;
development of business profit, the market share in Germany,
exports to the EU, extent of employment, extent of investment and
new introduction of products or services in the last few years;
influence of introduction of the European domestic market
on the performance of the business.
Hinderances in business dealings with businesses in other European countries:
judgement on hinderances in intra-European
business transactions in the last two years;
application of laws or regulations,
inadequate knowledge about domestic market rules and
inadequate knowledge of other EU markets
as most important obstacles in business abroad;
authorities rejecting products abroad;
costs through adapting to standards;
unusual acceptance and certification procedures;
difficulties with value added tax system;
financing costs for cross-border business;
market access limitations;
preferential treatment of competition through public support;
discriminating practices of national authorities;
access limitations to public bidding;
lack of legal guarantees for cross-border orders;
inadequate copyright protection or patent protection and
protection of registered trademarks;
most important reasons for business obstacles;
European countries in which obstacles are practically insignificant,
in which they are surmountable as well as
countries in which they are almost insurmountable;
experiences of the business with elimination of such obstacles;
consultants and institutions contacted in this case;
source of information or provider of reference to this counseling institution;
assessment of usefulness of this counseling;
preferred European or local external facilities for future questions;
preferred communication paths for obtaining information and
solving difficulties;
type and extent of need for information on cross-border business transactions,
e.g. in view of business start, bidding documents, standards,
copyright protection, tax regulations, access to subsidies,
environmental regulations, consumer protection, work or social legislation,
management procedures and means to assert personal rights regarding authorities;
assessment of providing information for the business and
the situation of obtaining information for businesses in other EU countries
(scale);
extension of European business activity
given improved access to necessary information;
preferred institution to provide this information;
institutions at home and abroad that have been approached to obtain information;
judgement on outcome of such obtaining information;
perceived increase or decrease in administrative formalities imposed
on the business;
judgement on national measures to improve and simplify formalities;
desires regarding simplification of laws or
instructions on fulfillment of the laws
and regarding elimination of double formalities;
priority in realization of desires;
priority in simplification of administrative tasks.