As EU member states continue to debate remote gambling regulation, the European Commission doubts any consensus will be reached in the near future.
Speaking during a debate at the European Parliament, Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy mixed cautious optimism with realism.
"The first starting point would be to get some form of consensus among the 25 member states," McCreevy said. "We can start off by getting consensus in this big Parliament, but I do not think we will. I am sure we will not get it at the Council of Ministers--not a chance."
The Commission began investigating several EU member states in early 2006 for alleged violations of the EC Treaty--a monkey wrench in the EU remote gambling regulatory scheme.
In April and October, the EC sent official requests for information on national legislative measures restricting the free movement of sports betting services to 10 member states. The Commission is seeking to verify whether the measures in question are compatible with Article 49 of the EC Treaty, which guarantees the free movement of services.
The investigation relates only to the compatibility of the measures in question with existing EU law, and only for the field of sports betting.
"I expect [the investigation] to be completed in the next few weeks," McCreevy said. "However, the Commission's actions should by no means be perceived as a move towards liberalizing the sector."
"It is the Commission's aim to ensure that whatever measures member states have in place are fully compatible with EU law," he added.
the European Parliament voted in February 2006 to exclude the gambling sector from the scope of the services directive. While the move limited the leverage the commission has over the issue, member states are still bound to ensure that there is no discrimination in their gambling services legislation.