EC vraagt lidstaten nieuwe richtlijnen voor interne markt door te voeren (en)
IP/09/1051
Brussels, 29 June 2009
Commission calls on Member States to implement new guidelines for improving Single Market
A set of practical measures aimed at improving the functioning of the Single Market at national, regional and local levels has been put forward by the European Commission, so that all citizens and businesses can make full use of their Single Market rights. Member States are being asked to implement a number of new guidelines in critical areas such as making practical information on opportunities in other EU countries easily available, improving cooperation between national authorities and strengthening the transposition, application and enforcement of Single Market rules on the ground. The progress in introducing the measures will be jointly monitored by the Commission and national administrations, and after four years the Commission will report on the overall progress achieved. The Commission has issued these measures in the form of a non-binding 'Recommendation'.
Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: "The Single Market is crucial to the recovery of the European economy. But for the Single Market to work effectively, its rules need to be correctly transposed, applied and enforced at national level, and national authorities need to cooperate more closely with each other. The Recommendation we have adopted today sets out concrete steps on how to ensure this. I am grateful for Member States' close cooperation in preparing this Recommendation and I urge them to actively implement the recommendations at national level. The Commission will do its utmost to support Member States in this work."
The Recommendation on 'Measures to improve the functioning of the Single Market' is a direct response to the Single Market Review ( IP/08/2000 ), which called for closer partnerships amongst Member States, and with the Commission, to make the Single Market work in practice. The Recommendation encourages Member States to assume a more pro-active role and to take ownership of a series of proposed measures developed by the Commission. These measures stem from research undertaken with Member States during 2008 to identify the potential problems in making the Single Market work in practice, and in many cases draw closely on good practices that have proved to work well in some Member States. The incoming Swedish Presidency is to prioritise the effective functioning of the Single Market at the Competitiveness Council.
Measures to improve the functioning of the Single Market
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-ensure and strengthen a Single Market coordination function, to promote efficient coordination amongst authorities responsible for Single Market issues at national, regional and local level within each Member State, and to act as a reference point for the Single Market within the administration;
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-encourage close cooperation between civil servants from different Member States, and with the Commission, to facilitate communication and build mutual trust (e.g. through various networks for administrative cooperation);
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-improve the transposition of Directives affecting the Single Market;
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-better monitor markets and sectors to identify potential market malfunctioning;
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-ensure that national civil servants dealing with Single Market issues are properly trained and have access to advice on Single Market rules to correctly apply them in practice;
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-strengthen the enforcement of Single Market rules, e.g. through providing sufficient training for judges and promoting problem-solving mechanisms, to quickly and efficiently find solutions to problems encountered by citizens and businesses;
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-promote regular assessment of national legislation; and
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-improve provision of information to citizens and businesses about their Single Market rights and cross-border opportunities.
Two Commission Staff Working Documents accompany the Recommendation. These provide information on i) the activities undertaken by the Commission to support Member States and ii) the main existing networks established by the Commission for administrative cooperation in the area of the Single Market.
More information: