The Commissioner concluded on this point by saying that while considerable progress has been made there are a number of areas in which further initiatives might be taken with a view to ensuring a genuine and effective opening up of national public services. In particular : - the adoption of the regulation now pending before the Council on the "extension" of Regulation 1408/71 to special schemes for civil servants and persons treated as such; - comparative law studies should be launched into the major issues of principle, which could have serious consequences on the actual exercise of the right to freedom of movement in the public sector and which are not at present directly regulated ...[+++] by existing Community legislation; - an inventory needs to be drawn up of all the barriers (both overt and covert) which still stand in the way of exercise of the right to freedom of movement in the public sector in the different Member States; - preparation (and regular updates) of explanatory handbooks on the Community law applicable for the use of both individuals and the responsible national public services; - continuation and development of the exchanges of officials responsible for freedom of movement under the Karolus programme.