EU Single Market

To make the Single Market fit for a fully digitalised economy, BusinessEurope advocates for the removal of regulatory and administrative barriers to cross-border business operations and a faster adoption of digital technologies.

Daily, companies still face barriers when selling products or expanding into another Member State, which hampers competitiveness and slows companies’ twin transition efforts.

The Single Market is at risk of regression, with 2023 Commission data showing a decline in integration in both free movement of goods (decline from 26.0% to 23.8%) and free movement of services (from 7.8% to 7.6%). Meanwhile, businesses uptake of digital tech continuously falls short of meeting EU targets, putting into question the attainment of 2030 Digital Decade goals and the digital transformation at large.

As highlighted in the Letta Report, “the Single Market remains a cornerstone of European integration and values, serving as a powerful catalyst for growth, prosperity and solidarity”. BusinessEurope is committed to upholding and cherishing these values, and ensuring full compliance with Single Market freedoms enshrined in the EU Treaties.

Removing barriers

Resolute actions to remove remaining regulatory barriers to the free movement of goods and services could add €713 billion to the EU economy by 2029 – a taxpayer-neutral boost that will strengthen Europe’s social market economy.

BusinessEurope identifies barriers to cross-border business operations, digitalisation bottlenecks, and flaws in administrative cooperation across Member States. We collect evidence from our members and propose concrete solutions to shape the Single Market Strategy, legislative initiatives, and policy reforms at EU level in order to drive market integration and generate welfare for EU citizens.

Our advocacy has put Single Market fragmentation back on the political agenda, culminating in the publication of the Letta Report. We expect many of our recommendations, as detailed in our priorities for 2024-2029, to be reflected in the upcoming Single Market Strategy.

United for a stronger Single Market

BusinessEurope is a proud partner in the Alliance for the Single Market, working alongside DIGITALEUROPE, Eurochambres, EuroCommerce, ERT and SMEunited to push for deeper market integration and a stronger, barrier-free business environment in the EU.