The Single Market - the market without barriers within the European borders - is one of the pillars of the European Union. In fact, the realisation of a market without barriers is one of the European Union's primary goals, and one of the principles enshrined in the Treaty (cf. Preamble TEC and Art. 3 (3) TEC). Nearly all EU legislation affects, in some form or another, the single market or, more precisely, the “four freedoms” that the Single Market is designed to guarantee: the free movement of goods, services, capital and people.

Whereas the free movement of goods and people is already largely ensured, various national rules and regulations still govern transactions in services and capital, in some cases hindering the functioning of the market.

2011:

• A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights: Communication COM(2011) 287
• European Standardisation: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2011) 315
• Tariff Preferences for Developing Countries: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2011) 241
• European Patent with Unitary Effect: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2011) 215 and Proposal for a Regulation COM(2011) 216
• Corporate Governance: Green Paper COM(2011) 164
• Public Procurement: Green Paper COM(2011) 15
• Trade Policy: Communication COM(2010) 612
• Single Market Act: Communication COM(2010) 608
• Future Audit Policy: Green Paper COM(2010) 561

2010:

• Proposals for a EU Patent and a European patents court system
• European Standardisation Package: Public Consultation of 7 April 2010

2009:

• Developing Public Private Partnerships: Communication COM(2009) 615
• Food Supply Chain: Communication COM(2009) 591
• Re-Use of Public Sector Information (PSI): Communication COM(2009) 212
• Annual Accounts of Micro-Entities: Proposal for a Directive KOM(2009) 83

2008:

• Consumer Markets Scoreboard: Communication COM(2008) 31
• Development of the Internal Market for Postal Service 97/67/EC pdf-file, 63kb
• Development of the Internal Market for Postal Service 2002/39/EC pdf-file, 54kb
• Liberalisation EU Postal Markets COM (2006) 594 pdf-file, 80kb
• EU Impact Assessment for the Liberalisation of the Postal Market pdf-file, 65kb
• Prospective Study On Universal Postal Service pdf-file, 49kb

So far, only a limited number of our policy briefs are available in English. Please contact us for more information.

2008:

• CEP legal opinion on the prohibition of outside shareholders of pharmacies (in German only)
• Industrial property rights: Communication COM(2008) 465 (in German only)
• Patients' rights in cross-border healthcare: Proposal for a Directive COM(2008) 414 (in German only)
• European private company: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2008) 396 (in German only)
• Small Business Act: Communication COM(2008) 394 (in German only)
• General safety of motor vehicles: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2008) 316 (in German only)
• Damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules: White Paper COM(2008) 165 (in German only)
• Competitiveness of the metal working industry: Communication COM(2008) 108 (in German only)
• Cosmetic products: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2008) 49 (in German only)
• CEP legal opinion on the Waste Framework Directive (in German only)

2007:

• Lead Market Initiative for Europe: Communication COM(2007) 860 (in German only)
• Mid-term review of modern SME-policy: Communication COM(2007) 592 (in German only)
• Mid-term review of industrial policy: Communication COM(2007) 374 (in German only)
• A Single Market for citizens: Communication COM(2007) 60 (in German only)
• Applications of technical rules in the Single Market: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2007) 36 (in German only)

2006:

• Liberalisation of EU postal service markets: Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 594
• Rates of excise duty on alcohol and alcoholic beverages: Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 486 (in German only)
  
• Detection technologies and their implementations: Green Paper COM(2006) 474 (in German only)
• Review procedures concerning the award of public contracts: Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 195 (in German only)
  
• Services in the Single Market (Services Directive): Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 160 (in German only)
• Tax exemption of imports by persons travelling from third countries: Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 76 (in German only)
• Tax exemption for consignments into the EU: Proposal for a Directive COM(2006) 12 (in German only)
• Management plan for plaice and sole: Proposal for a Regulation COM(2005) 714 (in German only)
• Strategy for the simplification of the regulatory environment: Communication COM(2005) 535 summary (in German only)
  
• Services of general interest: Green Paper COM(2003) 270 summary (in German only)