EU bespreekt zes speerpunten interne markt en concurrentiepositie EU (en)

Six priorities to strengthen the EU internal market and the Union’s competitiveness in relation to the rest of the world. This is what Sweden’s Minister for Trade Ewa Björling discussed with her European colleagues on day one of the informal meeting of competitiveness ministers in Umeå.

The day’s meeting addressed how the internal market can be strengthened over the next ten years. Ewa Björling explained that clear priorities had been set, which she now hopes that the EU countries will take seriously and work hard to achieve. The first priority is to improve coordination on common legislation and ensure that the legislation is implemented in the same way in each Member State. This also involves raising awareness of the need for a functioning internal market in the EU.

“We did this earlier today in presenting the Single Market Award to a person who has worked very hard to improve the internal market. I hope that we will continue to award the prize annually,” said Ewa Björling.

The second priority concerns the services sector. Ms Björling emphasised the importance of the services sector for the EU economy, and said that it is expected to be the fastest growing sector in the EU over the coming years. By the end of this year, the Services Directive must be implemented, but during the meeting today it was decided that more needs to be done in any case.

“The Services Directive is an important step on the way, and it is positive that we are all agreed on the need to implement it soon. At the same time we must do more in the long term to become even better at coordinating this important sector,” said Ewa Björling.

Open to the rest of the world

The third priority focuses on EU consumers. The ministers agreed to develop more active consumer policies and to encourage consumers to look beyond their own country’s borders. Increased trade between the EU countries will, in turn, help to further increase the EU’s competitiveness.

Highlighting the ‘fifth freedom’ – innovation – is the fourth priority. This is also something that is featured in the exhibition that the ministers visited during the day. Priority number five concerns the EU’s Community patent. The sixth and final priority stresses the importance of the relations between the EU and countries outside the European Union.

“It is important that we make sure Europe continues to be open to the rest of the world. This also contributes to increased productivity and prosperity within the EU in the long term,” said Ewa Björling.

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy also participated in the meeting via videolink. At the press conference the Commission was represented by Director-General Jörgen Holmquist. He drew attention to the political guidelines that were recently presented by President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso on the Commission’s work from now on.

“In the political guidelines the EU internal market has a very prominent role. I see today’s discussions as an excellent starting point and an input to the work that the Commission will be doing over the next few years.”