Brussels, 07/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - Answering an invitation from the European Policy Centre (EPC), EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy recently unveiled the revision of the single market initiated in October 2007 (see EUROPE 9547). The panel for the debate comprised members of the European employers' organisation BusinessEurope and the consumer organisation BEUC.
'The single market is more than an idea of the past - it is far from complete today, and above all, it is a challenge for the future that requires imagination and political will to progress,' explained Charlie McCreevy. He said work in this field was driven by three strong ideas - 'the single market can no longer be run by Brussels on its own, it must become a joint venture where every European has a stake'. 'It will be driven by the needs of business, small and large, but it must also be powered by the needs of consumers.' 'And I firmly believe that we have moved on from the fortress Europe of yesteryear, and must now embrace the idea of a global Europe in the future.' Initiatives to be taken by the European Commission or by private operators in 2008, mentioned by the commissioner, include a code of conduct on bank mobility, the current revision of EU rules governing unfair trade practices, the Small Business Act and a European company statute. '7 out of 10 citizens have never heard of any of the already existing information, assistance and problem-solving services at EU level. So it is essential that the single market is better communicated,' added the commissioner. To this end, the European Commission will be opening a web portal in a few weeks time.
Discussing the great successes of the single market in terms of generating abundance, jobs and the free circulation of people and businesses, Philippe de Buck, Secretary General of BusinessEurope, said member states had to appropriate the single market by correctly transposing and applying to the letter the rules to set up a single market. He said Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal were the worst when it came to transposing EU rules even though these seven member states account for 63% of the EU's economy. He urged companies to inform the European Commission more about tangible problems that might arise from bad application of EU law. Speaking for the European consumer's bureau BEUC, Monique Goyens welcomed the fact that consumers had been put at the centre of the revision of the single market. She said one should not imagine that Europeans would naturally go and consume beyond the borders of the country they were living in because they were usually passive. Among the benefits of a single market for consumers, Goyens mentioned the strict food safety rules, reduced roaming rates and legislation on European payments. BEUC's future priorities are the establishment of a European class action system and consumer rights in the digital age. Goyens warned that complex challenges required complex rules. Her words sounded like a warning against updating EU legislation which, BEUC feels, should not become a move towards deregulation. (M.B.)