17.7.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L1781 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DIRECTIVE 2000/31/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (Directive on electronic commerce) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Articles 47(2), 55 and 95 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1) The European Union is seeking to forge ever closer links between the States and peoples of Europe, to ensure economic and social progress; in accordance with Article 14(2) of the Treaty, the internal market comprises an area without internal frontiers in which the free movements of goods, services and the freedom of estab- lishment are ensured; the development of information society services within the area without internal frontiers is vital to eliminating the barriers which divide the European peoples. (2) The development of electronic commerce within the information society offers significant employment oppor- tunities in the Community, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises, and will stimulate economic growth and investment in innovation by European com- panies, and can also enhance the competitiveness of European industry, provided that everyone has access to the Internet. (1) 0] C 30, 5.2.1999, p. 4. (3 0] C169,16.6.1999, p. 36. (%) Opinion of the European Parliament of 6 May 1999 (O] C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 389), Council common position of 28 February 2000 (OJ C 128, 8.5.2000, p. 32) and Decision of the European Parliament of 4 May 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (3) Community law and the characteristics of the Community legal order are a vital asset to enable European citizens and operators to take full advantage, without consideration of borders, of the opportunities afforded by electronic commerce; this Directive therefore has the purpose of ensuring a high level of Community legal integration in order to establish a real area without internal borders for information society services. (4) Itis important to ensure that electronic commerce could fully benefit from the internal market and therefore that, as with Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (), a high level of Community integration is achieved. (5) The development of information society services within the Community is hampered by a number of legal obstacles to the proper functioning of the internal market which make less attractive the exercise of the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services; these obstacles arise from divergences in legislation and from the legal uncertainty as to which national rules apply to such services; in the absence of coordination and adjustment of legislation in the relevant areas, obstacles might be justified in the light of the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Communities; legal uncertainty exists with regard to the extent to which Member States may control services originating from another Member State. (%) OJ L298,17.10.1989, p. 23. Directive as amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 202, 30.7.1997, p. 60).