MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the single market package

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 28 October 2015 entitled ‘Upgrading the Single Market: more opportunities for people and business’ (COM(2015)0550),

–  having regard to the Commission staff working document of 28 October 2015 entitled ‘Report on single market integration and competitiveness in the EU and its Member States’ (SWD(2015)0203),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 6 May 2015 entitled ‘A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe’ (COM(2015)0192),

–  having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2016 entitled ‘Towards a Digital Single Market Act’[1],

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 13 April 2011 entitled ‘Single Market Act – Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence – Working together to create new growth’ (COM(2011)0206),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 3 October 2012 entitled ‘Single Market Act II – Together for new growth’ (COM(2012)0573),

–  having regard to the report of 9 May 2010 by Mario Monti to the President of the Commission entitled ‘A New Strategy for the Single Market – At the Service of Europe’s Economy and Society’,

–  having regard to its resolution of 11 March 2015 on single market governance within the European Semester 2015[2],

–  having regard to its study of September 2014, commissioned by the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, entitled ‘The cost of non-Europe in the single market’,

–  having regard to its study of January 2016, commissioned by the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, entitled ‘A strategy for completing the single market: the trillion euro bonus’,

–  having regard to its resolution of May 2016 on the Single Market Strategy[3], based on a report by the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection,

–  having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the single market has been, and could remain, a factor contributing to Europe’s economic success, growth and jobs, and is one of the cornerstones of European integration and the European social market economy; whereas this has been highlighted further during the recent negotiations on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU;

B.  whereas, according to Parliament’s own research, the anticipated gain from completing the single market stands at EUR 1 trillion;

C.  whereas the single market cannot be considered in purely economic terms, but must be seen as embedded in a wider legal framework granting specific rights for citizens, workers, consumers, entrepreneurs and businesses;

D.  whereas a strategic, holistic and comprehensive approach is needed; whereas the response to the challenges faced should be as much political as technical in nature;

1.  Welcomes the overall objectives of the Commission’s communication ‘The Single Market in a changing world - A unique asset in need of renewed political commitment’, released a few months before the 2019 European elections and on the 25th anniversary of the single market;

2.  Is convinced that a well-functioning single market is one of the pillars of the European Union, and is of paramount importance for preserving the EU’s economic, social and cultural model and for strengthening the competitiveness of the Union in terms of growth, innovation and job creation;

3.  Recognises, however, that the single market has also produced negative effects, in addition to these positive aspects, and is now at a crossroads; believes that deeper integration of the single market requires more political courage and commitment than 25 years ago, owing to a more complex global context overall, and emphasises that greater efforts are needed to complete it and increase its effectiveness; stresses, therefore, that the deepening of the single market should be brought back to the top of the political agenda;

4.  Emphasises that in the single market, economic considerations must be complemented by a broader structure of social rules, workers’ rights, consumer protection, environmental legislation and common fiscal policies;

5.  Believes that in order to strengthen and deepen the single market and to facilitate further cooperation at EU level and between Member States, it is crucial to strongly defend the four freedoms, namely the free movement of people, services, products and capital both physically and online;

6.  Urges the outdated separation of the ‘digital’ single market from the ‘offline’ single market to be stopped, as digital solutions are an indispensable part of the modern economy and every corner of the single market should be digitally fit;

7.  Notes that today only 8 % of SMEs offer goods and services online and only 15 % of consumers make use of this possibility; adds that the completion of the digital single market could result in significant economic growth and the creation of many jobs if its full potential were to be unlocked; highlights that this data clearly demonstrates the urgent need to continue working to make the digital sphere fully accessible to citizens and businesses and to improve consumer trust in the digital dimension;

8.  Asks the Commission to continue working towards completing the digital single market with ambitious proposals, with a view to establishing modern and effective common rules in order to protect consumers, help public administrations, enhance the competitiveness of European businesses and SMEs, and generate fair competition;

9.  Underlines the need to eliminate the unjustified remaining barriers from the single market in order to achieve tangible and quick results in terms of growth, innovation, job creation, consumer choice and new business models; is also convinced that a level playing field is key, with equal rules for comparable players in all Member States;

10.  Recognises that unjustified and disproportionate national measures, as well as uncoordinated measures, could put at risk the unity and effectiveness of the single market; recalls, however, that certain measures may be legitimate and necessary to protect public interest objectives, inter alia to protect workers, ensure sustainability and protect consumers;

11.  Asks the Commission to use existing instruments to take action against unjustified national rules that challenge the single market and acknowledges that the single market governance infrastructure should be reinforced to ensure good monitoring mechanisms and detect incorrect transposition or application of single market legislation;

12.  Stresses the importance of ensuring that rules deliver practical results: citizens and businesses can only enjoy the many advantages of the single market if the rules that have been jointly agreed actually work on the ground and bring concrete added value; recalls that the main aim of introducing new rules should be to benefit citizens;

13.  Strongly supports the Commission’s invitation to the European Council to dedicate an in-depth discussion at the level of heads of state or government to the single market in all its dimensions, with a view to identifying common priorities for concrete action and appropriate mechanisms to match the much-needed renewal of political commitment to the single market;

14.  Urges the next Commission, in view of the upcoming political term 2019-2024, to ambitiously plan single market actions and to present legislative proposals in a more timely manner, in order to give both co-legislators sufficient time to examine and, where appropriate, adopt them; regrets that some of the key legislative proposals of the 2014-2019 term have been proposed by the Commission only recently, making their examination and adoption by the co-legislators rather difficult; deplores the fact that the Council has not managed to agree on a joint position on several key legislative proposals, with certain initiatives having been blocked for years, thus rendering the legislative process ineffective; reminds the Commission and the Council of their responsibilities, especially vis-à-vis EU citizens, businesses and local authorities;

15.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.