The Czech Republic and Luxembourg have submitted a proposal to the European Commission to reform and improve the single market. Aiming to simplify and harmonize EU rules for goods and services, they call for a reduction in bureaucracy and regulatory barriers, to allow European companies to operate more freely and governments to facilitate business.
The document, known as a ‘non-paper’ (an informal, unofficial text for confidential discussions), refers to the recently published reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi on the future of the internal market and EU competitiveness. Although the reports emphasized the need to exploit the full potential of the single market, the document calls on the new Commission to go further by changing the conditions for fostering entrepreneurship and further reducing reporting requirements.
The Minister of Industry and future Czech European Commissioner, Jozef Síkela, reiterated that strengthening the European internal market has always been a central priority for the Czech Republic. A more integrated and efficient European market would represent a crucial competitive advantage for the EU, enabling it to face current challenges more effectively.
Receiving the support of 18 other Member States, including Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden, the document will be presented on 26th September in Brussels.
The signatory countries highlight the need to reduce regulatory fragmentation and divergence, particularly in the area of goods and services, where many obstacles persist. They ask the Commission to ensure greater freedom of movement and to reduce barriers to cross-border trade, with concrete actions in the short and medium term. The EU executive should focus on dedicated digital tools to facilitate business activities in the single market, optimizing existing solutions and creating new resources.
Efforts should be made to give less centrality to Brussels and more operational freedom to European capitals. States are ready to cooperate with the EU executive, but prefer a confederal rather than a federal management, aiming at a joint direction between the Commission and Member States.
The Commission is expected to present a new horizontal strategy for the single market by June 2025, in response to requests from the European Council and the Competitiveness Council.
Sources: https://www.eunews.it/2024/09/20/20-stati-ue-competitivita-mercato-unico/
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