This process is already well advanced. New firms should find it easier to enter markets previously dominated by domestic producers - opening opportunities for British firms to invest and trade more effectively in the candidate countries. Central to the EU's approach to negotiations with the candidates is the determination that enlargement must enhance the single market, not detract from it or undermine it. This underlying philosophy is reflected in EU insistence that any transition periods are minimal, and that effective implementation is vital. There are several key elements to ensuring that goods and services move freely within a single market.
Mutual recognition involves accepting products lawfully on sale in other member states.
This includes the mutual recognition of national standards, certification and testing. The candidate countries have also already started to adopt harmonised European standards and recognised accreditation systems for certification and testing bodies. This should help eliminate the difficulties sometimes faced by those trying to sell their products in these states. EU rules on public procurement mean that candidates must also abolish preferential treatment for domestic providers in works and supply contracts. Liberalisation of services such as energy and telecoms should provide new opportunities in previously inaccessible market sectors.