Those activities may involve services requiring the proximity of provider and recipient, services requiring travel by the recipient or the provider and services which may be provided at a distance, including via the Internet.

This will have major implications for the development of modern and effective disability strategies, notably as regards supply of support systems and community-based care services adapted to the specific circumstances of each country.

* providing information services on the spot which are free of charge, easily accessible and geared to the behaviour, environment and needs of young people;

* providing information services on the spot which are free of charge, easily accessible and geared to the behaviour, environment and needs of young people.

Social economy: there are many different types of organisations active in the social economy (cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations, firms), all working in wide variety of fields (competitive markets, health services, neighbourhood services, sports activities, entertainment, youth employment and combating social exclusion). They account for some 5% of total employment in the European Union. Priority assistance in this sector should be given to active support for the creation and development of service suppliers, by means of information, training, advice, financial and technical assistance and support to ensure the lon ...[+++]ger-term survival of newly-created activities.

To clarify the status of a number of services normally provided near the coast (e.g. towing, pilotage, dredging), it is useful to recall the general legal framework applying to the provision of services.