European Commission Workshop: The Future and Strategy of the Single European Market - DELab

On 19 May 2016, the European Commission organised a workshop entitled Binnenmarktforum: Wachstumspotenziale für Unternehmen im Binnenmarkt – unternehmensrelevante Aspecte der EU-Binnenmarktstrategie at the Austrian Ministry of Science, Research and Economy in Vienna. The event was a consultation between representatives of the Commission and entrepreneurs, representatives of trade associations and chambers of commerce, and scientists.

The workshop was divided into three discussion panels. The first panel discussed the role of start-ups in the digital economy and, in particular, their position in the economic life of Austria and the EU. The panel was opened by the Managing Director of DG GROW, Dr. Irmfried Schwimann. In her speech, she emphasized the opportunity to revitalize the development of the EU Single Market thanks to European start-ups. The panel participants agreed that the development of start-ups (from start up to scale up), their cooperation with industry and the role in testing the latest technologies (including the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0) can contribute to the increase in the competitiveness of the EU in relation to the United States and Asian countries. The next panel addressed the topic of unjustified geo-blocking. Director Jurgen Tiedje from DG GROW familiarized the participants with the applicable legal status in this area and presented the EC research analyzing the phenomenon of geo-blocking and the results of public consultations on this type of practice. The consultations confirmed the large scale of geo-blocking in the EU – approx. 40% of sellers of goods and approx. 70% of companies offering digital services admitted that they block or limit access to their offer to consumers from other EU member states. The last part of the workshops concerned the possibility of implementing the concept of a “service passport” in the EU. The service passport initiative is a legislative initiative of the Commission aimed at reducing barriers for service providers planning to operate in different EU member states. After the initiative comes into force, the entrepreneur would be required to register their business only in the first country where they provide services. They would then receive a “passport” confirming the compliance of their business with regulations and standards applicable throughout the EU. According to research conducted by the EC, 83% of entrepreneurs believe that barriers to conducting business and providing services exist. This is proof that initiatives aimed at harmonising standards are still needed despite the functioning of the Single Market. The workshop was attended by: Michał Paliński Marlena Syliwoniuk