Steps to overhaul the European Union's flagship single market were discussed on Tuesday (9 November) by MEPs and interested parties. At the end of October the European Commission unveiled a “Single Market Act” which they hope to be in place within by 2012. It sets out new rights for individuals and businesses. The debate in Parliament's Internal Market Committee was one of a series of “Single Market Forums” being held as part of a process of public consultation.

The proposed act contains a raft of measures which the Commission hopes will help consumers business and consumers.

For consumers it includes measures such as strengthening passenger rights and making it easier to register cars bought in a different country.

For businesses it aims to help small and medium sized companies get financing, develop the concept of social entrepreneurship" (such as charity work by companies) and enhance e–commerce and the digital market as a whole. It also wants to promote and push forward with the European Patent.

For workers the act aims to make it easier to transfer pension rights and improve professional qualification recognition by introducing a “professional ID”, valid throughout Europe.

“We want challenging but achievable targets”

Introducing the steps the Internal Market Commission Michel Barnier said that “the single market is presented as undermining social rights. But we want to show that you can have both economic and social freedoms”.

In May this year the European Parliament passed a resolution based on a report by Maltese Socialist Louis Grech calling for such an act to be enacted by Spring 2011. At the hearing he called for “a new paradigm of political thinking to bring about the necessary change”.

Speaking at the hearing British Conservative Malcolm Harbour, who Chairs the Internal Market Committee commented that the plans need cooperation from European governments. He said “we want challenging but achievable targets” because without full engagement of governments nothing can happen.

Single Market: “it is not a Bible that cannot be upgraded”

Romanian Liberal Cristian Silviu Buşoi commented that "support by European citizens and businesses for the single market was not always as strong as it should be", thus constant change is needed to bring it closer to citizens and businesses.

Polish centre right MEP Roza Thun told those present that “I believe that the Single Market Act will improve the EU economy but I also believe that it is not a bible that cannot be upgraded”.

Former European Commissioner Mario Monti was also present at the hearing. The Act owes something to the strategy he worked on earlier this year to push the single market forward. Speaking to MEPs, he said that “the Single market initiative is not the EU flagship initiative, because the single market itself is not the flagship. But it is the sea and wind which allows all the other flagships to proceed”.

The next single market forum will take pace in Poland in October 2011.