On Friday 19 December, the EU Member States adopted a partial negotiating mandate for the regulation establishing the Single Market and Customs Programme (SMCP) for 2028-2034. They have largely adopted the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE B13701A9). The mandate is partial in that it excludes horizontal and financial issues which are being discussed as part of the negotiations on the multi-annual budget (MFF).
In its proposal published in September, the Commission suggested...