Brussels, 30/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - EuroCommerce has highlighted existing obstacles in the single market that are hampering wholesale and retail trade. Only by fully implementing the freedom of establishment of services, freedom of movement of goods and a better digital single market can the situation be improved, noted the association on Tuesday 28 October in a workshop on trade that formed part of the Single Market Forum 2014, a series of conferences on how the single market is working in practice. EuroCommerce Director-General Christian Verschueren gave an example of the barriers to the single market, pointing out that goods which are considered perfectly safe in one member state have to be retested, relabelled or adjusted to be sold in another. He said that “inefficient and burdensome authorisation schemes and national trade laws seriously hinder commerce, and intervene in the way they do business” and, ultimately, undermine the competitiveness of the sector and its ability to “create the growth and jobs that Europe so desperately needs”.
Further workshops will be held as part of the Forum in various European cities over the coming months to discuss the obstacles to the digital services single market, public procurement, professional qualifications, equity financing and intellectual property rights. The final conference will take place in Brussels in March 2015 at which conclusions will be drawn from these workshops and policy decisions taken to resolve the problems identified. (MD)