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Council Working Group meets for second time under Spanish Presidency

Category: EU Updates

On 5 May the Council Working Group on gaming and betting services met for the second and final time under the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. The meeting focused on discussion of the Draft Presidency Progress Report on illegal gambling in the Member States which examines the definitions of illegal gambling throughout the EU 27 including the differing ways in which Member States attempt to combat issues of illegitimate gaming. The report establishes a shared vision of what constitutes illegal gambling defining it as “gambling in which operators do not comply with the national law of the country where the services are offered, provided those laws are in accordance with EU Treaty principles.”

Additionally, the European Commission indicated during the Council Working group meeting that it may seek to hold bi-lateral meetings with Member States concerning gambling policy and could possibly target Member States currently undergoing infringement procedures. The meetings between the European Commission and Member States would likely occur prior to the publication of the Green Paper on gambling proposed by Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier in February 2010.

Furthermore, the Belgian presidency also attended the meeting and communicated its intention to hold five meetings of the Council Working Group on gambling and betting during its upcoming presidency. The Belgian presidency had already signalled its desire to seek legal texts rather than further consultative documents and the unprecedented number of meetings could signify that gambling services will be a priority under the Belgian Presidency. The Belgian presidency assumes office on 1 July 2010 and disclosed to the Working Group its objective to agree on Council conclusions by December 2010.

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