Commissioner introduced the exchange of views by thanking the Chairman and Members for their constructive spirit in helping reconcile citizens, consumers and SMEs, with the Single Market. Such a constructive approach enabled democratic discussion on every single initiative put forward during the last years, with IMCO often being in the lead of the game, stated the Commissioner, adding that it also helped reaching out to people through numerous public consultations and annual cross-Europe discussions on the Single Market.
Summarising the main achievements of the past legislature and indicating the remaining challenges for the upcoming legislative term, he made reference to more than 70 initiatives put forward in the framework of the SMA I and II, a large majority of which have been examined by IMCO as the lead or opinion-giving committee.
Commissioner Barnier referred to 4 main areas: the completed reform of the public procurement (Concessions, e-invoicing …), the services sector (implementation of the Services Directive, revision of the Professional Qualifications Directive …), support of European enterprises (in particular SMEs) and the adaptation of the Single Market to todays' digital challenges (parcel delivery, on-line gambling …).
Ensuring proper transposition, implementation and enforcement of EU rules in the Member States, including by strictly applying zero-tolerance for non-transposition, will be among the most important challenges for the future, underlined the Commissioner. This applies in particular to new rules on Public Procurement and Professional Qualification, to the implementation of the Services Directive, as well as to strengthening the protection of consumers in financial and digital markets. IMCO will continue to have an important role to play in this, in particular within the European Semester process, concluded Commissioner Barnier, adding that, thanks to the IMCO work during the past legislature, the European Semester - which was an accounting and budgetary exercise at the beginning - has become an important economic exercise.
Source : © European Union, 2014 - EP