Single Market

The single market is crucial to Europe’s competitiveness, yet troubling signs indicate it is not reaching its full potential. That’s why Eurochambres is committed to addressing the persistent barriers hindering the free movement of workers, goods, services, and capital across Europe.

To ensure a level playing field for all businesses, the EU must adopt common rules in key areas. Where full harmonisation is impractical, greater cross-border acceptance and flexibility are essential. The principle of mutual recognition, which allows goods legally marketed in one member state to be sold in others, is often inconsistently applied. This must be reaffirmed as a core pillar for completing the single market.

Eurochambres firmly supports efforts to streamline and harmonise administrative processes at the EU level, with an emphasis on digitalisation and improving the interoperability of national systems. The Single Digital Gateway (SDG) and Internal Market Information System (IMI) are key tools for ‘digital by default, open by default and cross-border by default’ to be reality for Europe’s business community. Furthermore, Eurochambres urges EU institutions to protect the single market by ensuring proper transposition, implementation, and enforcement of existing rules.

Besides, digitalisation is reshaping business models and production processes across all sectors at an unprecedented pace. Advances in artificial intelligence are opening up new business opportunities by enabling predictive maintenance, dynamic pricing and mass customisation. The rise of IoT, quantum and cloud technologies is transforming data management, connectivity and operational efficiency, while introducing new security risks. As a result, the need for a safe cyberspace and the protection of trade secrets for businesses has never been greater.

As new digital technologies reshape the business landscape, the regulatory framework is adapting accordingly. Ongoing developments in data protection, contract law, competition law, workers' rights and safety, and taxation have a direct impact on businesses, making their involvement in legislative discussions essential.