Single Market for Goods

The EU Single Market for Goods consists of 500 million consumers and 21 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Trade within the internal market is essential for the growth of enterprises and inward investment. The European Commission’s main goal is to ensure the free movement of goods within the market, and to set high safety standards for consumers and the protection of the environment.

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+ New Legislative Framework - to improve the internal market for goods and strengthen the conditions for placing a wide range of products on the EU Market, the New Legislative Framework was adopted in 2008.

+ Building blocks of Single Market - legislation on Single Market for goods aims to ensure that products placed on the EU market meet high health, safety and environmental requirements. Products allowed to be sold in the EU can circulate without barriers to trade and with a minimum of administrative burden.

+ Free movement in harmonised and non-harmonised sectors - the principle of free movement of goods ensures that these provisions do not lead to the creation of unjustified barriers to trade.

+ International aspects of the Single Market - through its relations with non-member countries, the EU tries to ensure the best possible conditions for international trade in regulated products.

• Primary Source

Wikipedia: Four Freedoms (European Union) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms_(European_Union)

European Commission: DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs: Single Market for Goods http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/goods/

European Parliament: Fact Sheet: Free movement of goods http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/displayFtu.html?ftuId=FTU_2.1.2.html

EUROPA: Summaries of legislation: Free movement of goods http://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/chapter/internal_market/2403.html?root=2403

EUR-Lex: Customs union and free movement of goods http://www.europeansources.info/record/customs-union-and-free-movement-of-goods/

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