Brussels, 03/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Freeing up the reserve of “2 to 4 points of growth” the European Union alone has is the challenge launched on Wednesday 3 October by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Michel Barnier, presenting his Act for the Single Market II. This new Act comes in the wake of its predecessor, which was presented in April 2011 and which identified a raft of measures to be set in place. This year, Barnier has committed to put 12 initiatives on the table of the member states, which he will unroll up to spring 2013 for the legislative and until the end of 2013 for the non-binding initiatives. As indicated, this Act II is based around four major axes: effectiveness of the transport and energy networks; digital economy; mobility of citizens and enterprises; and the “social cohesion” plank.
In the field of networks, the Commission is planning, amongst other things, to open up the national rail passenger transport market more to intra-European competition with its “4th Railway package”, which will consist of reinforcing the access of the European operators to the various markets and also to allow them to obtain public procurement contracts. The Commission will also focus on maritime transport, via a “blue belt” package to cut transport-related red tape between the various European ports. The single European sky must also be completed, streamlining air transport. Here, the Commission feels that it actions could save European airlines €5 billion every year. Lastly, as regards energy, the Commission wants European consumers to benefit from the “cheapest possible supply”, Barnier explained, and it is soon to publish its third Energy package.
As regards the digital economy, the Commission hopes, amongst other things, to strengthen online payments and win over the “35% of internet users” who are still afraid to shop online, Barnier continued. It will also be a question of increasing the efficiency of broadband and developing the electronic signature for public procurement contracts. Here again, “if this is done properly”, the commissioner said, several billion euros in savings can be achieved.
Lastly, for the “social cohesion” plank, the Commission is planning, amongst other things, a legislative proposal to improve the European employment service EURES, or a legislative action, to be entrusted to Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, on cross-border insolvency proceedings for businesses. Still under this heading, the Commission will tackle the transparency of bank charges, which it will make obligatory, and also attempt to facilitate banking mobility.
In any case, Barnier hopes that these 12 actions will be the right ones to boost the European economy, although he referred to the unfortunate example of the single patent, which may have a huge growth potential but which has been stagnating for years. Barnier's proposals went down differently with the various interested parties. Although most of the initiative “responds to the needs of businesses”, according to BusinessEurope, Eurochambres sees it as an exercise in communication and believes that it is sometimes possible to do better with less legislation. (SP/transl.fl)