nl flag go to the original language article
This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by ANP.

20 EU member states want to accelerate the improvement of the internal market

by AI | 20.Sep 2024 | Europe in brief AI

LUXEMBOURG (AP) – Improving European competitiveness is one of the priorities for the new European Commission. Twenty member states, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland, are already providing the new Commission with a significant list of issues that must at least be addressed in a new internal market strategy. According to the twenty member states, this should include concrete short- and medium-term actions “to facilitate cross-border trade.”

The European economy is not doing well. If the internal market is improved, competitiveness can grow, it is expected. Photo: Josep LAGO / AFP

“Improving the conditions for doing business within the EU must be the highest priority for the new Commission,” state the signatories of the declaration drawn up at the initiative of Luxembourg and the Czech Republic and published on Friday.

Simplification and harmonization of EU rules is one of the issues that need to be addressed so that there can truly be free movement of goods and services. There are still too many national regulations that hinder this, according to the twenty member states. “Targeted action in this area will remove obstacles to cross-border activities.” EU rules must be “robustly” enforced and equal access to the internal market must be ensured.

These are some key conditions that must be met to increase competitiveness in the EU, the signatories emphasize.

Mario Draghi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Central Bank, stresses in his recently published report that the competitiveness of the European Union must be strengthened as soon as possible. That report was commissioned by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

(20 September)