SOLVIT is an informal problem-solving network launched by the European Commission in 2002. It was established to resolve certain types of problems experienced by EU citizens or businesses with public administration in EU members states.

SOLVIT can help resolve issues in areas such as:

• Social security
• Visa
• Residency
• Recognition of professional qualifications
• Taxation

SOLVIT issues must be about denial of internal market rights due to internal market law not being applied correctly. There are SOLVIT Centres in each EU country and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Irish SOLVIT Centre is based in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

There are three key criteria that must be met by all SOLVIT cases:

• a cross-border element to the complaint
• caused by a perceived misapplication of EU law
• by a public authority of the host Member State

Where the Irish SOLVIT Centre is satisfied that a case is referred to it is one that meets the criteria, it will raise the issue with the appropriate authority in Ireland or with its counterparts in the Member State concerned. SOLVIT Ireland regularly deals with officials from the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Justice and Health Service Executive, as well as others when required.

The SOLVIT Centres are committed to obtaining a response within ten weeks without prejudice to the rights of businesses and/or individuals to pursue other action, including legal action, if they are not satisfied with the response.

As SOLVIT represents an informal approach to problem solving, the SOLVIT system would not be used in situations where:

• legal proceedings are already under way
• the problem relates to national law in the citizens own member states

Please see SOLVIT - DETE for more information.