The Single Market at 30 and how to further improve its functioning

Background

This exploratory opinion has been requested by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The topic featured high on the EU institutions' declaration of intent for 2023 (interinstitutional joint declaration), which read "as we mark the 30th anniversary of the Single Market in 2023, to work together to deepen it by removing barriers and filling gaps, especially in the services sector, to harness its full power." On 16 March, the European Commission published "The Single Market at 30", a non-legislative initiative  reviewing the actions underway and coming together to harness the power of the Single Market.

Key points

Celebrating the Single Market as unquestionably one of the EU's greatest political, economic and social achievements, the EESC stresses that it must remain an ever-evolving project which keeps adapting to changing realities. A critical review on this 30th anniversary must therefore not only look at what remains to be achieved in terms of implementation and enforcement, but also at the new challenges to be faced. Among these, the EESC singles out the following:

• the number one new challenge facing the single market is ensuring the EU's open strategic autonomy. Priority must be given to key areas, first and foremost supply and trade, energy, critical raw materials and, more generally, innovation, digitisation and advanced research. Agreements with like-minded countries will be key in this endeavour;
• the most worrying trend affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of Europe's businesses is the increasing emergence of national regulations entering into force before EU initiatives are put forward and preventing harmonization across the Member States;
• The relaxation of State aid rules in response to the Inflation Reduction Act could create asymmetries between Member States and jeopardise the resilience of the Single Market. The best way to provide new momentum to European industrial policy and investment in green technologies is to develop a European Sovereignty Fund.

Link to full opinion

Additional information

EESC section responsible: Single Market, Production and Consumption (INT)

Opinion type: exploratory opinion requested by the Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU

Rapporteur: Felipe MEDINA MARTÍN (Employers – Spain)

Co-rapporteur: Angelo PAGLIARA (Workers – Italy)

Date of adoption by section: 04/04/2023

Result of the vote: 41 votes in favour and none against, with 3 abstentions

Date of adoption by plenary: 27/04/2023

Result of the vote: 137 votes in favour and 1 against, with no abstentions

Contacts

Press Officer

Tel.: + 32 2 546 8422 | Mob: +32 475 99 94 32

email: daniela.marangoni@eesc.europa.eu

Policy officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 8378

email: silvia.staffa@eesc.europa.eu