Over the past 25 years, the EPC has been a leading voice in the development of the EU’s Single Market, notably through the activities of the '
Single Market Roundtable'. At the 30th anniversary of the Single Market, and against the backdrop of multiform economic and political challenges, it is time to make the case that a new Single Market agenda can yet again help prove that the EU is stronger than the sum of its parts. As part of this project, the EPC will organise a series of roundtables and public policy dialogues around the following four focus areas in cooperation with other EPC programmes, such as the
Sustainable Prosperity for Europe and
Social Europe and Well-Being programmes:
- The Single Market and the green transition
- The Single Market’s role in Europe’s economic security
- The Single Market and digital innovation
- The Single Market, rights and social fairness
The European Single Market was launched 30 years ago, on 1 January 1993, and has since been hailed as one of the EU’s greatest successes. With its four freedoms, including the free movement of goods, capital, services and persons, the Single Market has increased competition, labour specialisation and economies of scale and pushed the efficiency and economic integration of the EU to unprecedented levels. Today, the GDP of EU member states is estimated to be, on average, 9 per cent higher than it would be without the Single Market.
In times of unprecedented economic challenges to member state welfare systems and labour markets, as well as political polarisation, it is more important than ever to ensure that the Single Market underpins Europe’s social market economy. A genuine level playing field, green, digital and social innovation are fundamental tenets today for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy agenda facilitating the creation of global players.