MEPs debate on the 30th anniversary of the EU single market. Since its creation in 1993, the single market has helped to make everyday life easier for people and businesses, creating jobs and fuelling growth across the EU. It is, according to the draft resolution, the “engine of European integration and the backbone of its economy”. Opening statements by Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairsby Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

single market (T)

VESTAGER, Margrethe (DK, CE)

ROSWALL, Jessika (SE)

30th Anniversary of the Single Market: opening statements by Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs by Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, President. Honourable Members. Commissioner. The competitiveness of Europe's industries currently facing multiple challenges. While the European economy still had not fully recovered from the COVID related crisis and its severe socio economic consequences. The Russian military aggression against Ukraine led to numerous disruption in global value chains and to a significant increase in the energy prices in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, On top of that, third countries have adopted legislation providing for state schemes to help domestic companies move to a greener model. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act, which could have a negative impact on the competitiveness of EU companies and industries. While addressing these issues in the short term. We should not lose sight of what the union has to do in order to be competitive in the long term.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, The basic fundamentals of the success of the single market, Common regulation, standards setting, innovation, mutual recognition, a level playing field with competition policy and state aid rules has been our biggest asset. Therefore, the union's response to these challenges relies to a large extent of the improvement of the single market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, First, we need to ensure that we have the right instruments to deal with future crisis. This is why the presidency will treat as a priority the Commission's proposal on the Single Market Emergency Instrument. Once in place, it should facilitate effective cooperation, solidarity and communication between EU institutions, member states and other stakeholders in case of crisis.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Second, we need to continue our efforts to enforce existing rules and better regulation agenda. In these challenging times, we need to be aware of the burden European companies are carrying not at least its SMEs, who are the backbone of the European economy, because it is this SMEs that bring forward smart, innovative solutions that play a key role in the green and digital transition.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Therefore, we cannot overburden them with unnecessary rules and regulations. Instead, we need to be smart and selective as regulators and make sure that the EU's economy is boosted, not burdened with new EU initiatives. Thirdly, we must acknowledge that our economy, our businesses and our start-ups need to prepare properly finance to face current and future global challenges and avoid fragmentation within the union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Venture capital has increased in Europe in recent years, but we are still lagging behind the US and China. These investments gaps can be reduced by completing the banking union, and integrate well-functioning capital market union. We also need to address the fact that European companies risk relocating to third countries in search of large venture capital investors.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, In short, a robust single market where we give each other access to goods and services that can flow across the borders in a competitive market is the way best way to build the EU resilience in the future. All these topics are key priorities for the Swedish presidency. Debates among member states will take place at expert ministerial and leaders level, and not at least with the European Parliament. I look forward to continue our common work on the success story that is the single market. Thank you for your attention.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, Honourable Members, Honourable Minister Roswall. I'm very glad that the celebration of the 30 years of the Single Market is followed by this debate. The Single market is one of our great success stories. It shows what our democracy can achieve when we work together. Beyond the clear economic dimension as we spoke of earlier. The single market also gives the European Union global scale.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, As citizens. The single market enables us to live, work, travel wherever we want in Europe. As consumers, we are protected by a common set of rules, and we have a greater choice of products at lower prices. It allows us to shop online across Europe to make electronic payments in euros and for roaming across the Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, At the same time, the single market significantly expands the horizon and the scope of opportunities for European businesses. It brings higher legal services certainty, greater access to markets, more economies of scale, and entire cross-border value chains. In addition, thanks to the single market, European businesses can bits for public procurement contracts anywhere in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, And this makes doing business easier and cheaper. Creating jobs and creating growth everywhere. This does not mean that the single market is complete. All that the achievements just mentioned can be taken for granted. As a COVID pandemic has shown us, when member states act individually by closing their borders or introducing intra EU export bans on medical equipment and grain and raw materials, well then the whole function of the single market is jeopardised.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, We saw clear examples of that, the beginning of the pandemic, such as shortages of essential products, huge traffic jams at the frontiers, preventing the free movement of essential workers. And recent crises have also triggered a wider awareness of the need to address Europe's strategic dependencies on third countries and enhance Europe's independency.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, And this is in particular the case for sectors and technologies that are based on raw materials or microprocessors, where Europe is particularly dependent on imports from other countries. Finally, companies and citizens continue to report a number of persisting obstacles, such as misapplication of rules, lengthy or diverse national administrative procedures that really hamper. Or that they rely on free cross-border trade and investment in the single market, as well as citizens ability to provide services a cross-border.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, However, as said, the single market is not complete. Its achievement cannot be taken for granted and it requires work and effort to preserve it, to make it futureproof every day. First, we must reflect on the single market, how it can further support the acceleration of the green and digital transition. And we also need to ensure that the rules agreed collectively are also applied collectively in every member state.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, A key initiative in this regard is the Single Market Enforcement Task Force, which is working to prevent and to remove obstacles. In addition, we need to deepen the single market and consider which areas may benefit from stronger cooperation. For example, the area of services where we still lagging behind. And we need to put the small and medium sized businesses to the centre of our attention.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, After having suffered the consequences of the pandemic, they are now challenged by soaring energy prices and lack of skilled employees. Finally, we need to strengthen the single market force of production and think of the single market in its global perspective. The single market is a base. It's a hub. It's a protection in a challenging global environment. It's our tool to uphold our values.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, For instance, when it comes to principles of privacy, of transparency, as well as our high green and environmental protection objectives and of course, our social standards. I'm looking very much forward for this debate. That will be the starting point of the next 30 years of the single market. Thank you.