B3-1238/93

Resolution on the Commission's strategic programme on reinforcing the effectiveness of the internal market

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the working document of the Commission on a strategic programme on the internal market (COM(93)0256),

-having regard to the Sutherland report,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on the internal market, in particular its resolutions of 18 December 1992 on the Seventh Report of the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation of the White Paper on the completion of the Internal Market, and on the need for a follow-up to the 1992 internal market programme,

1.Considers that the full achievement of the Community internal market is a dynamic process, not a static one, that the White Paper programme is still not satisfactorily completed, that considerable problems of transposition, interpretation and enforcement of Community rules still remain, and that a number of complementary policy measures still need to be taken;

2.Believes, moreover, that there are still major risks threatening the success of the internal market, such as the rise of ever more sophisticated forms of protectionism (i.e. abuse of environmental and consumer objectives etc.) in the light of economic recession, and the potential problems caused by the turmoil in the European Monetary System;

3.Notes, in addition, that public perception of the 1993 internal market is still not very positive, and that groups such as consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises are still to be convinced of its benefits;

4.Believes for all the above reasons that a new impetus needs to be given to the internal market process; agrees with the Commission that a "wait and see" attitude is completely inadequate and that the Community must take the necessary measures aimed firstly at the effective application of the already existing internal market, and secondly at its dynamic development in the future;

5.Welcomes, in this context, the forthcoming presentation by the Commission of a strategic programme on the internal market, which responds to its explicit request to this effect in its above-mentioned resolutions of 18 December 1992;

6.Takes note of the Commission's commitment to secure full application of Article 8a of the Treaty, by the end of 1993, concerning the free movement of persons in the internal market;

7.Considers that the Commission's working document is a useful first step in the elaboration of such a strategic programme;

8.Notes that the Commission is currently holding intensive consultations on the working document and the possible contents of the strategic programme, and insists on being kept fully informed of the outcome of such consultations;

9.Welcomes the Commission's positive reaction in its working document to some of the proposals it put forward previously, such as the need for an annual report on the internal market, the need for wider consultations on the functioning of the internal market with economic and social interests concerned (including use of the Economic and Social Committee as a forum on internal market problems) and the need for the Commission to carry out a detailed study of the longer term economic and social impacts of the single market;

10.Welcomes the fact that, in its communication 'Reinforcing the effectiveness of the internal market', the Commission attaches importance to implementing the Social Charter and improving the level of social protection and working conditions in order to enhance the operation of the internal market, and expects this avowed intention to be translated into practical reality;

11.Also welcomes the fact that the Commission will be starting work in early 1994 on the assessment of the Cecchini report, which, according to the Council's resolution of 7 December 1992, should be completed by 1996;

12.Calls, however, for more information from the Commission on a number of questions on internal market implementation:

(i)the extent of progress as regards quantitative and qualitative transposition of Community directives since the 85% figure cited for May 1993,

(ii)what the Commission intends to do to promote adoption of those internal market measures that are still being delayed by the Council,

(iii)the progress made to date in strengthening relevant cooperation and exchanges of personnel and information between national administrations,

(iv)the extent of progress made in ensuring more effective national and Community enforcement of internal market rules (including the handling of inspections, common interpretations of Community policy, proper access to justice, and appropriate fining policy),

(v)the latest situation as regards standardization,

(vi)the content and timing of its proposals to promote mutual recognition of national rules;

13.Considers, moreover, that a number of elements need expanding on by the Commission in its strategic programme compared to the existing working document:

(i)the need for more forceful Community action to ensure freedom of movement for individuals, without which the internal market programme is incomplete and gives the impression of being conceived more for enterprise than for individual Community citizens,

(ii)the need for a fuller discussion on the highly controversial issue of whether regulations are a more appropriate Community instrument than directives (as well as the need for an interpretative note by the Commission on the scope of the Francovich and Bonifici decision),

(iii)the need for a fuller analysis of how other Community policies, such as competition, industrial and public procurement policies interrelate with the internal market, and also how the strategic programme on the internal market will be linked with the proposed White Paper on competitiveness,

(iv)the need for a fuller assessment of the strengths and shortcomings of both Community and national administrations in carrying out their internal market responsibilities,

(v)the need for more information on what the Community can do not just to open up new opportunities for SMEs but to ensure that they are more fully aware of these opportunities and also that no unnecessary new paperwork is created for them,

(vi)the need for the Council and the Member States to adopt and implement by the end of 1993 the proposal for a directive on the establishment of European Works Councils (COM(90) 581), which is one of the priority measures to be taken in connection with the social dimension of the internal market;

(vii)the need to take fuller account of the international dimension, including actions to be taken by the Community in opening up markets elsewhere in the world to match the current opening up and liberalization of the Community market and also an assessment of the impacts on the internal market programme of the European Economic Area and the development of economic relations wtih the countries of Central and Eastern Europe;

14.Considers that, with regard to the environment, the envisaged solution of 'conditional equivalence' should be followed up, but considers that clear, precise rules should be laid down in advance for the monitoring and surveillance of such 'equivalence' to avoid the subsequent inevitable disputes;

15.Considers that the Commission should prepare as soon as possible a proposal for extending to services in general the existing notification procedure for goods (technical rules);

16.Considers that the Commission should present, as a matter of priority, proposals for the reinforcement and improvement at Community level of the campaign against counterfeit goods and the protection of industrial design;

17.Believes, above all, that the strategic programme must not be confined to a series of ad hoc measures but must be a coherent and readily identifiable new programme with its own name or slogan and with a specific year-by-year timetable of measures to be taken at Community and national level, in order to follow up the successes of the 1993 programme by an increase in public awareness and to create an ever stronger internal market;

18.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the parliaments and heads of state and government of the Member States.