Single Market Guides

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Internal Market Information (IMI) system - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 23 February 2011, 00:29 CET

The European Commission is taking action to help citizens and businesses to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the Single Market by publishing a strategy to improve governance of the single market. The expansion of the Internal Market Information (IMI) system to other areas of EU law such as, potentially, gambling and e-commerce1 will help to achieve this. IMI is a multilingual online application that allows national, regional and local authorities to communicate quickly and easily with their counterparts elsewhere in the EU. By December 2010, nearly 6 000 authorities were using this system where they can assist each other in order to, for example, process applications from foreign professionals, grant permissions or check that cross-border service providers comply with security obligations.

EC program to deepen the Single Market for services - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 27 January 2011, 17:09 CET

While services currently represent two-thirds of the EU's GDP and employment, they only make up for around one-fifth of total intra-EU trade. Today, only about 8 per cent of European SMEs do business in other Member States. This lack of dynamism not only hampers choice for consumers, but also prevents small and innovative businesses to grow, develop their activities and become more competitive. To unlock this potential of the Single Market for services by 2012, the European Commission has today adopted a set of targeted actions to tackle remaining problems. The Services Directive aims precisely at removing unnecessary and burdensome obstacles to trade in services in the Single Market. One year after the implementation deadline, the Commission and the Member States have completed an assessment of how the Directive has been implemented on the ground. The results of this so-called "mutual evaluation" exercise conclude that, while much has been achieved so far, the Single Market for services is not yet delivering its full potential.

Single Market Act - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 28 October 2010, 23:18 CET

The European Union’s Single Market is the cornerstone of more than 60 years of European integration. Barriers that once stopped goods and services from freely flowing from Lisbon to Helsinki have been torn down. Companies now benefit from a market of 500 million consumers. Consumers travelling abroad have seen dramatic cuts in mobile phone charges. A single currency has made shopping and travelling abroad effortless. Workers now benefit from extensive rights. People can work, study and live anywhere in the EU’s 27 Member States. While Europeans can be proud of these achievements, businesses and citizens also know that hurdles still exist when they exercise their rights. The European Commission set out a series of concrete solutions in two reports published today to boost the single market. In the EU Citizenship Report, the Commission proposes measures to make peoples’ lives easier when they exercise their EU rights to get married, buy a house or register a car in another EU country. To boost growth, competitiveness and social progress, the Single Market Act calls for action to make the lives of all market participants – companies, consumers and workers – easier.

Overview of Competitiveness in 27 EU Member States by EUbusiness — last modified 28 October 2010, 12:55 CET

The Europe 2020 Strategy puts forward as a key priority for the Union the promotion of a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy. This Memo presents an abridged look at industrial competitiveness in all 27 EU Member States drawn from the report Member States competitiveness performance and policies. The main objective is to analyse industrial competitiveness across the Union and to present the policy measures Member States carry out to improve their competitiveness and, by implication, the competitiveness of Europe as a whole.

Country by country breakdown of 15th Progress Report on European Telecoms Market 2009 by Ina Dimireva — last modified 25 May 2010, 23:52 CET

The European Commission's latest (15th) annual report on the Single European Electronic Communications Market shows that consumers, businesses and the EU economy as a whole are denied the full economic benefits of a truly single and competitive EU-wide telecoms market because of inconsistent application of EU telecoms rules. The report indicates that most Member States' markets have become more competitive, but remain national in dimension and that the level of competitiveness varies strongly between Member States. This is why the Commission's Digital Agenda for Europe calls for swift and consistent enforcement of existing telecoms rules and indicates that the Commission intends to propose appropriate steps to reduce the cost of the absence of a Single Market in telecoms services.

Latest trends in SMEs access to finance and EU financial instruments - Briefing by Ina Dimireva — last modified 07 May 2010, 08:44 CET

Latest trends in SMEs access to finance and on the financial instruments under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme.

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection by Ina Dimireva — last modified 17 February 2010, 13:20 CET

Responsibilities, contacts and latest studies of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Labelling of textile products by Ina Dimireva — last modified 07 January 2010, 18:01 CET

The labelling of textile products in the EU harmonises the names of textile fibres and other terms used in labelling or other documents accompanying these products, in order to ensure adequate information for consumers and to promote the development of the internal market.

Copyright and related rights in the EU: term of protection by Ina Dimireva — last modified 16 December 2009, 18:14 CET

This Directive aims to harmonise the term of protection for copyright and related rights in the EU. It sets the term of protection for copyright at 70 years and for related rights at 50 years.

EC Action Programme Customs 2013 (2008-2013) by Ina Dimireva — last modified 04 December 2009, 12:02 CET

The European Community action programme Customs 2013 (2008-2013) aims to support the development of a pan-European electronic customs environment which ensures that customs activities match the needs of the EU internal market, guarantees the protection of the financial interests of the EC and increases safety and security.

Towards a Single Market in Creative Content Online by Ina Dimireva — last modified 03 December 2009, 16:19 CET

Online content knows no bounds and is on the increase. Reaching almost 500 million consumers, content services could significantly enhance the competitiveness of the European music, film and games industry by 2010. This is why the European Commission is encouraging the development of a stronger and more consumer-friendly internal market for online creative content within the European Union.

Competitiveness Council by Ina Dimireva — last modified 25 September 2009, 23:06 CET

The creation of the Competitiveness Council in June 2002, through the merging of three previous configurations (Internal Market, Industry and Research) was a response to the perceived need for a more coherent and better coordinated handling of these matters related to the European Union's competitiveness. Depending on the items on the agenda, this Council is composed of European Affairs Ministers, Industry Ministers, Research Ministers, etc. It meets about five or six times a year.

EU Internal Market Contacts by Ina Dimireva — last modified 05 August 2009, 22:40 CET

 

Working in the Single Market: Professional Qualifications by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 14:26 CET

The EU's policy on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is an example of action undertaken by the European Commission to remove the remaining legal and practical obstacles that deter people from benefiting from the freedom of movement and right to reside in another EU Member State.

Free Movement of Capital in the EU by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 14:30 CET

Free movement of capital is an essential condition for the proper functioning of the European Union Single Market. It enables a better allocation of resources within the EU, facilitates trade across borders, favours workers mobility, and makes it easier for businesses to raise the money they need to start and grow.

European Parliament's Committees: Internal Market by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 14:47 CET

 

Internal Market - General Principles by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 22:22 CET

The freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide cross border services are two of the “fundamental freedoms” of the EU Internal Market.

A Single Market for Services by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 22:26 CET

Services are crucial to the European Internal Market. They are everywhere, accounting for between 60 and 70% of economic activity in the European Union of 25 Member States, and a similar (and rising) proportion of overall employment. This underlines the economic importance of services in the European Union.

Free Movement of Goods in the EU by Ina Dimireva — last modified 01 August 2009, 22:27 CET

The principle of free movement of goods is one of the cornerstones of the European Union's internal market. This principle implies that national barriers to the free movement of goods within the EU be removed.

Free Movement of Goods in the EU by Ina Dimireva — last modified 23 July 2009, 09:32 CET

The principle of free movement of goods is one of the cornerstones of the internal market. This principle implies that national barriers to the free movement of goods within the EU be removed.