Retailers and wholesalers rely on a 'robust' Single Market as the bedrock for a more competitive European marketplace, representative group EuroCommerce has said.
EuroCommerce, which represents the retail and wholesale sectors at a European level, was commenting following the publication of The Single Market at 30 by the European Commission, which marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Single Market in 1993, and sets out ideas on how the platform can be strengthened.
'Step-Change In Ambition'
“To ensure the success of the Single Market for another 30 years, there is no question that we need a step-change in ambition," commented Christel Delberghe, director general at EuroCommerce.
"This is especially the case for services where Single Market barriers remain and are, in fact, rapidly increasing. We need a concrete action plan to tackle these barriers and ensure stronger enforcement. This would support the EU’s long-term competitiveness and investment goals in parallel.”
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'Stop Fragmenting'
EuroCommerce re-iterated its call for stakeholders to 'stop fragmenting' the Single Market through 'deliberate strategies that prevent retailers from bringing the benefits of the Single Market to consumers'.
It added that it is supporting the the Commission's proposal to establish a Single Notification Window for Member States. As with the Transparency Directive, the notifications should be made public and allow stakeholders and other member states to provide comments prior to the adoption of a national measure.
Furthermore, the association anticipates the European Commission's comprehensive strategies concerning the SME Relief Package, the Competitiveness Proofing Toolkit, and enhanced coordination among member states through expert groups.
Last summer, EuroCommerce, along with BusinessEurope, Digital Europe, ERT and Eurochambres, issued a joint position paper on 'Competitiveness & [The] Single Market', which can be found here.
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