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COM (84) 350 
 
 
Vol. 1984/0 153 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openin g to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this fi le is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983  über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27. 9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C O M(84) 350 fin a l
Brussels, 9 July 1984.
CONSOLIDATING T H E  INTERNAL M A R K E T
(Communication from the Commission to the European Council, 
Fontainebleau, 25-26  June 1984)
C O M(84) 350 fin a l

Consolidating the in terna l market 
(Communication from the Commission to the European Council)
I . Background
1. At its  meeting on 3 and A  December 1982 in Copenhagen the 
European CounciL agreed to revive the work on the strengthening of the 
in te rn a l market which had ground to a  halt at the end of the 70s. I t  
called upon the Council of the European Communities to adopt a number 
of items of le g is la tio n  which had been on the table for quite a  while.
2. There were two main topics in the terms of reference handed down,, 
namely the removal of technical barriers to trade and the removal of 
fro n tie r controls.
3. Where the technical barrie rs to trade are concerned, the task has been 
carried out to the extent that the considerable amount of work which s t i l l  
remains to be done can now be carried out in accelerated fashion and free 
of p o litic a l preconditions.
(a) The Council has resolved the problem of the treatment of goods from 
th ird  countries in the context of the E E C  type approval procedure to 
the extent that i t  is no Longer blocking the adoption of the many 
proposals fo r the removal of technical b a rrie rs to trade w ithin the 
Community.
(b) I t  has adopted an extensive and binding procedure for the provision 
of, inform ation on a ll national technical provisions and standards in 
order to prevent u n ila te ra l national in itia tiv e s  which divide the 
market. This procedure s ig n ifie s  a  turning point fo r the 
Community's Legislative a c tiv ity  since in future the approximation 
of le g is la tio n  w ill not take place afterwards as has been the case 
so fa r but can actu a lly be carried out even before possible new 
barriers to trade com e in to  being.

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(c) The strengthening of the European Standards In s titu te s  in the context 
of a  European Community standards policy w ill contribute to the 
removal of bureaucracy from economic a c tiv ity . I t  has also been possible 
to reach broad agreement on the p rin cip le s of a  European Community 
standards p o licy.
4. Where the reduction of fro n tie r controls is concerned/ however/ the 
progress made so fa r is ju s t th e .beginning:
(a) The D irective of 1  December 1983 on the s im p lific a tio n  of fo rm a litie s / 
the Regulation of 19 December 1983 on the temporary im portation of 
professional equipment and the Resolution of 7 June 1984 on the removal 
of controls re la tin g  to persons are merely steps on the way to the 
ultim ate goal.
(b) The half-hearted increases in duty-free allowances fo r tra v e lle rs  and 
the fuel carried in the tanks of commercial vehicles re fle c t the lack 
of progress in  the e ffo rts  to  harmonize consumption taxes and are quite 
out of lin e  with the requirements as regards the removal of fro n tie r 
b a rrie rs .
(c) Most s ig n ific a n tly / however/ the Council has fa ile d  to reach agreement 
e ith e r on the co lle c tio n  of VAT inside the country rather than at the 
border or on the replacement of over 70 documents re la tin g  to the 
crossing of fro n tie rs  by a  single Community document.
I t  is absolutely essential that the Council should address it s e lf  in a ll 
haste and with resolution to th is  matter the explosive p o litic a l character 
of which came to the fore very recently in the events at the borders.
5. The results achieved since Copenhagen - over 40 in d ivid u a l decisions - 
indicate that the completion of the in te rn a l market is now once again a  
p o litic a l p o s s ib ility . In the Commission's opinion/ such a  policy must be 
based on an o ve ra ll approach covering/ among other things, services and 
fro n tie r-re la te d  aspects of a g ric u ltu ra l, tax and transport p o lic y .

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I I . Consolidating the Internal market
6. More than ever before the European economy needs a  breakthrough 
towards achieving the in terna l market. Only i f  i t  is confident in
the irre v e rs a b ility  of th is  in terna l market w ill the re quisite investment 
be made. This is the only way to make the European Community more 
com petitive, to secure an economic revival and to combat unemployment.
There are three reasons why the decisions needed in order to consolidate 
the in te rn a l market should be taken before 1986:
(a) in order to take advantage of the p o litic a l agreement about the 
p r io r ity  to be assigned to th is  goal, follow ing the mandate given 
in Copenhagen;
(b) in order to put the economic revival on a Lasting basis so as
to enable companies and a u th o ritie s to make the requisite adjustments; and
(c) to show the countries which have applied to jo in  the Community that 
w e  have put our house in order.
7. O n  4 June 1984 the Commission therefore submitted a detailed general 
programme fo r consolidating the in terna l market covering the removal
of fro n tie r b a rrie rs , the le g is la tiv e  environment of firm s, the movement 
of c a p ita l, services and persons and aspects of a g ric u ltu ra l, tax 
and transport p o lic y .
8. The Commission proposals enumerated in th is  programme are only 
lim ite d in dividual measures when considered in is o la tio n , but i f  they 
were a ll adopted w ithin the next 18 months they would constitute a  
q u a lita tiv e  leap forward which would consolidate the in terna l market 
and thus represent a  step towards integration comparable with the 
accelerated progress towards the customs union in the 60s.
*Communication from the Commission to the Council on consolidating 
the in terna i market (C0M(84)315).

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9, Against the background of th is  general programme there are two main 
aspects in respect of which measures are urgently needed:
<a) the removaL of fro n tie r b a rrie rs , despite a ll the good intentions 
expressed in Copenhagen, and
(b) the creation of appropriate framework conditions fo r in te r-firm  
cooperation in the context of a European in d u s tria l continuum.
Both aspects have been recognized by the European Council as ha.-'ng p rio rit 
Nevertheless, there are d iff ic u ltie s  because the many in d ivid u a l measures 
required come w ith in  the sphere of re s p o n s ib ilitie s  of d iffe re n t 
Councils and are discussed in these meetings without any systematic,
binding p o litic a l coordination.
10. W e  do not need new ideas, new p o licie s or new Community funds in order
to consolidate the in te rn a l market. The main problem lie s  in the fa ilu re  
to implement the p o litic a l decisions taken long ago by ^  gf state
or Government. The fact that the in d ivid u a l proposals designed to 
strengthen the in te rn a l market are often technical in nature should net le a : 
to a s itu a tio n  in which the p o litic a l in itia tiv e s  founder at expert level 
and the overaLl macro-economic context, including the requirements with 
regard to tim e, are lost sight o f.
To th is  end the follo w in g  decisions should be taken:
(a) the In te rn a l Market Council is called upon to meet more 
regularly than h ith e rto  and organize its  work according to binding 
tim etables;
(b) the In te rn a l Market Council is  instructed to coordinate a ll 
Council work re la tin g  to the in te rn a l market;
(c) the a b ility  of the Council to  decide on matters concerning the
f  in te rn a l market w ill be increased by organizing the preparatory work 
in an interdépartem ental fashion;
C d) the European Council w ill receive regular reports on the completion 
of the consolidation programme.