Statements by Vincent VAN QUICKENBORNE, Belgian Minister, Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner on Internal Market Malcolm HARBOUR (ECR, UK), Chair of the Internal Market and C and Louis GRECH (S&D, MT) after the Single Market Forum at the Committee Consumer Protection, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Single Market Forum: statements

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent VAN QUICKENBORNE, Belgian Minister, What we are trying to do with the Commissioner Barnier is with the single market act is to relaunch the idea of one big market In fact what we have in hands it is something quite spectacular, 500 million consumers, 20 million businesses, that are active in one continent, you cant' find this in US or China, but still we are not using the full potential of the single market act. To give you one example, today if you look at how consumers buy products, 75% they buy there are local products, so there are not profiting for the things that have been offered in other countries, and especially if you look at the online possibilities there you see that with the regard the US, Japan and other countries we are not using the full potential of the single market. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent VAN QUICKENBORNE, Belgian Minister, So what we need are copyrights laws, a simplified and harmonised VAT across Europe, so that it becomes easier for businesses to bring their business to the consumers, and at the same time insure that we have protection of consumers and that European worth . So once we have achieved that, we will have a market that works, and that will be very prosperous to consumers.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner on Internal Market, It is true that actually when we are asking people on 'what Europe brings to you, what the single market brings to you', the answer is frequently 'nothing'. I wish that the SMSE's which constitutes 90% of the EU economy , and especially the artisans and the very small enterprises, the citizens have the sentiment and the proof that this market its useful to them.

SOUNDBITE (French), Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner on Internal Market, We have decided to act, not only with words, but with concrete proposals, to ameliorate the administrative and fiscal rules , the financial rules for enterprises, to favourite the investment and the growth, and ameliorate the citizens daily life. All those listening to us are at the same time entrepreneurs, consumers, service users, people having savings, stakeholders. And we want that in their daily life for example the e-commerce , their life will improve thanks to those measures. So we are opening the debate, everybody can participate, during 4 months. After 4 months of debate we will set-up the list of our commitments and we will deliver those proposals in 2 years, when there will be the 20 anniversary of the single market. We wish this anniversary to be proactive, and to bring growth, as there is growth within this market , if we go to find it together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Malcolm HARBOUR (ECR, UK), I agree very much with the Commissioner, I mean the single market project its a project for everyone, the citizens, the consumers, the SMSE's . What we relay need it's to really make-it speak to those people, and I think there is still a lot of frustration about the fact that in all this time the peoples still find difficult to access their rights on the single market. So our wish will be - ad we are delighted the Commissioner speak this out - is that actually we need a series of concrete actions, a delivery within the time scale, everyone committed to it, including governance, including parliament, including the Commission. So we really could show people that we are tackling their frustrations and we are creating opportunities, this has to be about opportunities for people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Louis GRECH (S&amp;D, MT), The whole scope of that forum is in fact to insure that the single markets works for the citizens and not the other way round. I think it is very clearer, especially that during the economic and financial crises, there was a protectionist attitude to the single market. I think that there is a problem that the single market its not an irreversible process, its should not be taken for guaranteed, and in fact we might have less integration than more integration.

Single Market Forum: statements

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