ABSTRACT
The Commission organised a Round-Table meeting of leading economists in December 1986 to discuss how the effects of its internal market programme might be gauged. The research seeks to analyse in qualitative and, where possible, quantitative terms the economic costs incurred in transborder business activity (TBA) in the European Community (EC) which are caused by divergent and/or discriminating laws and regulations. Business services include the technical, professional and operational services generally consumed by firms, but they exclude financial services such as banking, insurance and securities. The report notes that the corporate sector has for several years been in the process of 'externalising' many of its business services and this development is continuing. Most business service trade associations contacted regarded the significance of barriers as limited, whilst most of these who are concerned to purchase such services said they were not aware of any barriers.
