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BackOn Wednesday, EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, presented the final version of the Communication on the Single Market Act. “We believe the Single Market can be one of the most important tools to deliver a new kind of growth – growth and jobs for the European citizens”, declared Barroso. In contrast to the first version in October, the Commission underlined the significance of fundamental social rights. Of the 50 proposals to realise the Single Market, which were presented in autumn, only twelve projects were selected, which were introduced in the Communication.
During the past months, three reports on the Single Market Act were discussed in Parliament. The main sticking point in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee was whether the significance of fundamental social rights and of social services of general interest should be emphasised in the reports and whether the Posting of Workers Directive should be revised as demanded by the S&D Fraction, the Greens and the Left. The Committee had still rejected this demand in March. Prior to the vote on the resolutions in Parliament at the beginning of April, a compromise on the Social Clause was finally reached. Apart from that, Parliament demanded a social impact assessment, a reference to political and social rights as well as guaranteed quality and access to social services of general interest from the Commission.
The Commission has included the demands of Parliament in its Communication and identified twelve key measures: access to finance for SMEs, the recognition of professional qualifications and pension entitlements, unitary patent protection as well as the standardisation of services, consumer rights, energy and transport infrastructures, the Digital Single Market, ethical investment funds, energy taxation, the improvement of the Posting of Workers Directive, a reduction of the administrative burden for SMEs as well as a modernisation of public procurement. John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said in a statement on the twelve proposals of the Commission that ETUC was pleased that the Commission wanted to put life in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and to make the single market respect social rights, in particular in view of the fact that all we have heard from Brussels lately is about austerity governance and economic misery.
The action plan is a first step towards strengthening the Single Market. The commission will make proposals during the coming months and its aim is to gain approval from the European Parliament and Council before the end of 2012. Whether the measures will reflect fundamental social rights, in particular in view of the fact that the proposals on economic governance go in the opposite direction, remains to be seen.
Further information:
Communication of the European Commission: “Single Market Act - Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence ‘Working together to create new growth‘“
Press release des EGB: "ETUC Welcomes Commission Moves Towards Social Europe"
Single Market Act – Frequently Asked Questions
Press release of the European Commission: “12 projects for the Single Market 2012: together for new growth”
The Commission has included the demands of Parliament in its Communication and identified twelve key measures: access to finance for SMEs, the recognition of professional qualifications and pension entitlements, unitary patent protection as well as the standardisation of services, consumer rights, energy and transport infrastructures, the Digital Single Market, ethical investment funds, energy taxation, the improvement of the Posting of Workers Directive, a reduction of the administrative burden for SMEs as well as a modernisation of public procurement. John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said in a statement on the twelve proposals of the Commission that ETUC was pleased that the Commission wanted to put life in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and to make the single market respect social rights, in particular in view of the fact that all we have heard from Brussels lately is about austerity governance and economic misery.
The action plan is a first step towards strengthening the Single Market. The commission will make proposals during the coming months and its aim is to gain approval from the European Parliament and Council before the end of 2012. Whether the measures will reflect fundamental social rights, in particular in view of the fact that the proposals on economic governance go in the opposite direction, remains to be seen.
Further information:
Communication of the European Commission: “Single Market Act - Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence ‘Working together to create new growth‘“
Press release des EGB: "ETUC Welcomes Commission Moves Towards Social Europe"
Single Market Act – Frequently Asked Questions
Press release of the European Commission: “12 projects for the Single Market 2012: together for new growth”