SMA

Debate on the Single Market Act

CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU and Czech Permanent Representation to the EU will organize a debate on the Single Market Act on 16th March, 2011. The main questions that will be discussed are: What measures should be adopted urgently to enhance the Single Market? What is missing in the Single Market Act? How to save the Single Market? How to promote the Single Market?

Distinguished speakers:

Mrs. Věra KNOBLOCHOVÁ, Acting Head of Consumer Affairs, Industrial Policy, SMEs and Tourism,Czech Permanent Representation to the EU
Mr. Henning EHRENSTEIN, Policy development and coordination of the Internal Market, European Commission
Mr. Ivan VOLEŠ, Foreign relations adviser to the president of the Czech Chamber of Commerce, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee – Group I (Employers), Rapporteur on the Single Market Act
Mr. Ben BUTTERS, Director of European Affairs, EUROCHAMBRES
Mr. Luc HENDRICKX, Director for Competitiveness of Enterprises and External Relations within UEAPME

The Single Market Act

The Communication “Towards a Single Market Act – for a highly competitive social market economy” (PDF) was released by the European Commission on 27th October, 2010. It includes 50 policy proposals to enhance the Internal Market and removes its persisting barriers. The Communication was submitted for public consultation from 27th October, 2010 to 28th February, 2011. Various stakeholders as well as other EU institutions and their consultative bodies sent their views and suggestions to the Commission. Now it is up to the Commission to assess different recommendations and views and pick out of 50 proposals those that will be the priority issue for the days to come.

Opinion of Czech and European business associations

BUSINESSEUROPE calls for fundamental improvement of governance, better implementation and enforcement of the European legislation. According to European employers´ confederation there is no need to revise public procurement legal framework.
EUROCHAMBRES reiterates the need to strike the right balance between the various interests at stake (of business, consumers and Citizen) and need for a political commitment from all European institutions and national governments.
UEAPME asks for taking into account the diversity of SMEs, applying the Think Small First principle and better implementation of European legislation. According to UEAPME, the proposal needs more strong and new ideas.
BEUC says the SMA is poor on new proposals with not enough priority to initiatives related to consumers. The Single Market should not to be seen only as a market for cross-border activities. Top priority is collective redress, more supervision in retail banking services and better consumer rights in energy sector.