By Martin Banks - 11th May 2010
This punctures the sense of complacency, held by too many national governments, that the single market is complete
Malcolm Harbour
A major new report calls for the single market to be put "at the heart" of EU decision-making.
The report, by former EU commissioner Mario Monti and presented in parliament on Monday, also calls for "strengthened delivery, enforcement and governance" to create a stronger single market.
It says this should be "built around a political consensus across all EU countries."
The Italian academic says the single market should be at the heart of European policy making "to ensure that citizens, consumers and businesses reap the benefits and exploit what it has to offer."
The report challenges member states to "timely transpose" and "correctly apply" the rules already agreed to and outlines initiatives to "re-engage" them with the single market.
Monti outlined the document, "a new strategy to relaunch the single market", at a meeting of parliament's internal market and consumers affairs committee.
Committee chairman, UK Tory MEP Malcolm Harbour, welcomed the report and praised Monti for putting the single market "centre stage" in Europe's response to global economic challenges.
Harbour said the report "punctures the sense of complacency, held by too many national governments, that the single market is complete."
He said, "Monti has put the single market centre stage with this report. This really is an important step forward for the single market which will act as a catalyst for improving our economic competitiveness whilst providing new opportunities for recovering businesses.
"Governments' attentions have understandably been on bail-outs and financial markets but they must also look at the single market as a catalyst for economic growth.
"In too many national capitals there has been a sense of inertia about the development of the single market. We need national governments to drive it forward again and this report will help jump-start the process."
"I welcome much of this report, which contains an important ECR policy proposal to make compliance with single market rules an immediate obligation for member states."
His comments were echoed by ALDE group leader Guy Verhofstadt, who said, "In these days the future cohesion of the EU is at stake and the way ahead will strengthen this cohesion with an enormous financial commitment.
"But our cooperation and the billions of euros we are talking about have their base in the single market and its tremendous effects on the welfare of our citizens and companies. I am grateful, that by proposing substantial improvements for the single market, Monti reignites the debate about its effectiveness and its future."
Romanian deputy Cristian Busol said, "Monti is right to call for a relaunch of the single market as the political and economic context has changed substantially since 1992."
Internal market expert Robert Rochefort, a French deputy, commented, "Monti's statement that the single market is today less popular than ever due to an 'integration fatigue' and a 'market fatigue' may be slightly exaggerated.
"But the EU institutions have to make a fresh effort in order to draw up legislative proposals on how to reignite the single market and increase the confidence of Europe's citizens."
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