Single market for enterprises and growth

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the own-initiative report drafted by Cristian Silviu BUŞOI (ADLE, RO) on a Single Market for Enterprises and Growth, in response to the Commission Communication entitled ‘Towards a Single Market Act for a highly competitive social market economy. 50 proposals for improving our work, business and exchanges with one another’.

Members welcome the Communication ‘Towards a Single Market Act’ and emphasise, in particular, the Commission's commitment, in this Communication, to promoting new approaches towards sustainable development.

In view of the economic and financial crisis, the committee emphasises the importance of the Single Market for the competitiveness of EU enterprises and for the growth and stability of European economies. It calls on the Commission to submit an ambitious package of measures supported by a clear and coherent strategy to promote the competitiveness of the internal market.

The report focuses on the following key priorities:

Creating an EU Patent and a unified litigation system: the report stresses that the creation of the EU Patent and of a unified litigation system, as well as an improved system for the management of copyright, is indispensable for supporting innovation and creativity within the Single Market.

Financing innovation: the report calls on the Commission and the Member States to take due account of the importance of innovation for strong and more sustainable growth and job creation by ensuring that innovation is properly financed, in particular through:

• the creation of EU project bonds, especially in the areas of energy, transport and telecommunications, supporting the ecological transformation of our economies;
• a legislative framework to encourage venture capital funds to invest effectively throughout the EU. Incentives should be provided for long-term investment in innovative and job-creating sectors.

Stimulating e-commerce: Members urge the Commission to take all the necessary steps to enhance the confidence of businesses and consumers in e-commerce and stimulate its development in the Single Market. They stress that an EU Action Plan against counterfeiting and piracy as well as a framework directive on the management of copyrights are crucial to reach this objective. The report stresses the imperative need to adapt EU Information and Communication Technology (ICT) standardisation policy to market and policy developments which will lead to achieving European policy goals requiring interoperability.

Improving SMEs participation in the Single Market: Members highlight that further action is needed to make the Single Market a better environment for SMEs. They consider that such action should include improving their access to capital markets, removing administrative and fiscal barriers to their cross-border activities by adopting a clearer VAT framework and a common consolidated corporate tax base, as well as the revision of the public procurement framework, to make procedures more flexible and less bureaucratic.

Rationalising public procurement procedures: the Commission is asked to review the legislation relating to public procurement and public and private partnership with a view to fostering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth within the Single Market and to stimulating cross-border public procurement. The report stresses the need for a clearer framework, providing legal certainty for both economic operators and contracting authorities. It strongly encourages Member States to use pre-commercial public procurement in order to stimulate the market for innovative and green technologies. It insists on the need to ensure reciprocity with industrialised countries and major emerging economies in the field of public procurement.

A Single Market for services:Membersstress the need for full and proper implementation of the Services Directive, including the setting up of fully operational Points of Single Contact allowing for online completion of procedures and formalities, which can considerably reduce operational costs for enterprises and boost the Single Market for services. They call on the Commission to encourage the development of the business services sector and to take the necessary regulatory measures in order to protect businesses, especially SMEs, from unfair commercial practices by larger enterprises in the supply chain.