European Single Market

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Developing a green vision of the Single Market

Throughout the last three decades, the Single Market project has been discussed controversially: for some, it is the idea of a united Europe working together, whereas for others it is an elite-driven process that leaves many behind. However, for the green movement it was part of the promise to ensure the economic and social inclusion of Europeans, and a critical building block to an ever-closer European Union. Discussing the future of the Single Market therefore also means discussing the future of European integration as a whole.

By Eva van de Rakt and Anton Möller

It is time to update our Green vision on a circular market that delivers for citizens

Essay

Within the framework of the EU Green Deal, the Single Market is slowly turning into a tool to fight the climate crisis. In recent years, more and more legislation with regard to a circular economy has become law, enabling the green transition. But we have to do more. We have to fundamentally rethink our narrative of the Single Market, its role in the world and its way of delivering for the people.

By Anna Cavazzini

A Single Market 2.0 for the future: more social, more environmental and with a place for open strategic autonomy

Essay

The long cycle that began with the creation of the internal market, whose first phase brought opportunities for the social dimension but which ultimately led to global integration, resulting in a long period of anti-social policies, has come to an end. We are now entering into a new period, in which the rules of the internal market are changing in response to the need for environmental sustainability and strategic autonomy. The question now is what place the social dimension will occupy in this new architecture.

By Philippe Pochet

Let's undo the damage caused by the Single Market

Essay

There is little reason to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Single Market. We urgently need industrial policies that are truly European. This is essential, particularly in the fields of digital technology and ecological transition, which raises questions of means, in particular. We also need to change the competition policy to encourage consolidation of European companies, instead of fighting it.

By William Desmonts

A consumer perspective for the Single Market 2.0

Essay

The Single Market has been a pillar of the EU since its conception. However, the focus so far has been on how to make it easier for companies to operate across the EU and the European Economic Area. Much more attention needs to be paid to the social and environmental dimensions of the Single Market, and this certainly includes consumers, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of its policies.

By Agustín Reyna

Thirty years of the Single Market: corporate complaints and deregulation pressure endanger the ecological transition

Essay

While it makes sense to celebrate 30 years of a border-free EU market for goods and services, there is also an urgent need for a critical assessment. This should start with discussing the limits of the Single Market, namely which areas of our societies should be covered by Single Market rules and which should not.

By Olivier Hoedeman

Towards a Single Market that works for the environment through ambitious product policy and standards

Essay

The EU Single Market needs profound reform. We must place reuse, refill and repair at its heart, and enable a digital transition that is green and just for everyone. One concrete step leading the transformation should be ambitious EU ecodesign requirements for products and services, supported by inclusive harmonised European standards, and properly enforced by national authorities.

By Rita Tedesco and Ioana Popescu

The Single Market as a global beacon: a view from the past – and across the Channel

Essay

When we look across the world, we see that social and environmental standards are far higher in the EU than in any other national or regional economy. It didn’t have to go that way, but our political power, skill and determination has turned the Single Market into a force for good. We should celebrate that achievement before moving on to consider the next 30 years.

By Molly Scott Cato

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30 years of the European Single Market

Report

This collection of brief essays shows the diverse views on the European Single Market, whilst unveiling green visions for the next 30 years. What unifies these different takes — ranging from environmental and consumer standards, Brexit, lobbying and more — is the understanding that the European Single Market remains a cornerstone of European Integration.

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The European Single Market at 30

Dossier

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the European Single Market. To celebrate this occasion, and to develop new ideas for the future of European integration, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung’s European Union office asked its partners for their visions for the future of the Single Market. This collection of brief essays shows the diverse views on the European Single Market, whilst unveiling green visions for the next 30 years. What unifies these different takes — ranging from environmental and consumer standards, Brexit, lobbying and more — is the understanding that the European Single Market remains a cornerstone of European Integration.

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