Internal market : from crisis to opportunity : putting citizens and companies on the path to prosperity.
Date: 2014-11-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communication
Subjects: consumer, dissemination of EU information, public awareness campaign, single market, single monetary policy, small and medium-sized enterprises

T H E   E U R O P E A N  
U N I O N  
E X P L A I N E D

From crisis to 
opportunity — 
putting citizens 
and companies 
on the path to 
prosperity

Internal market

A  b et ter   fu nc tio n in g  int er nal   m ar ke t i s 
a  key  in gr ed ie nt  fo r  Eu r op ean  gr owth

CONTENTS

Why we need an internal market  .  .  . . 3

How the EU manages  
the internal market  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . 5

What the EU does  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . 8

What’s next?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12

Find out more  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12

The EU explained: Internal market

European Commission
Directorate-General for Communication
Citizens information
1049 Brussels
BELGIUM

Manuscript updated in November 2014

Cover and page 2 picture: © iStockphoto.com/melhi

12 pp. — 21 × 29.7 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-42535-6
doi:10.2775/8449

Luxembourg: Publications Office  
of the European Union, 2014

© European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised. For any use or reproduction 
of individual photos, permission must be sought directly 
from the copyright holders.

THE EUROPEAN UNION 
EXPLAINED

This publication is a part of a series that explains  
what the EU does in different policy areas,  
why the EU is involved and what the results are. 

You can find the publications online:
http://europa.eu/pol/index_en.htm

http://europa.eu/!bY34KD

How the EU works
Europe in 12 lessons 
Europe 2020: Europe’s growth strategy
The founding fathers of the EU

Agriculture
Banking and finance 
Borders and security 
Budget
Climate action
Competition
Consumers
Culture and  audiovisual
Customs
Digital agenda 
Economic and monetary union and the euro
Education, training, youth and sport 
Employment and social affairs
Energy
Enlargement
Enterprise
Environment
Fight against fraud
Food safety
Foreign affairs and security policy
Humanitarian aid and civil protection 

Internal market

International cooperation and development
Justice,  fundamental rights and equality 
Maritime affairs and fisheries 
Migration and asylum
Public health
Regional policy
Research and innovation
Taxation
Trade
Transport

3

Why we need an internal market

The European internal market, also referred to as the 
single market, allows people and businesses to move 
and trade freely across the 28-nation group. In practice, 
it gives individuals the right to earn a living, study or 
retire in another EU country. It also gives consumers 
a wider choice of items to buy at competitive prices, 
allows them to enjoy greater protection when shopping 
at home, abroad or online and makes it easier and 
cheaper for companies large and small to do business 
across borders and to compete globally.

An ever-growing single market

During its 20-plus years of existence, the single market 
has grown from 345 million consumers in 1992 to 
over 500 million today. Cross-border trade between EU 
countries has also grown from €800 billion in 1992 
to €2.8 trillion in 2013 in terms of the value of goods 
exchanged. During the same time period, trade between 
the EU and the rest of the world tripled, from €500 
billion in 1992 to €1.7 trillion in 2013.

Single market snapshot: facts and 
figures
 — Largest GDP of any economy in the world
 — 500 million consumers, 20 million SMEs
 — 28 member countries
 — Symbol of European integration
 — Largest global exporter and importer of food 

and feed

 — 7 % of the world’s population
 — 20 % of global exports and imports

An evolving policy

The Single European Act of 1987 was the first major 
revision of the 1950s’ Treaty of Rome, which created 
what later evolved into the European Union. The 
overriding goal of the act was to add momentum to 
the European integration and the common market that 
already existed. The act amended the rules governing 
the operation of the European institutions and expanded 

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The four freedoms

The cornerstones of the single market are the free 
movement of people, goods, services and capital, 
known collectively as the ‘four freedoms’, which are 
enshrined in the EU Treaty. The same treaty empowers 
EU institutions to adopt laws (in the form of regulations, 
directives and decisions) which take precedence over 
national law and are binding on national authorities. 
The European Commission plays an important role in 
proposing EU legislation, upholding the EU treaties and 
ensuring that EU law is properly applied throughout the 
EU — by individuals, national authorities and other EU 
institutions.

A single currency to boost  
the single market

A market works better when everyone uses the same 
money. The first step towards a shared currency took 
place on 1 January 1999 with the creation of the euro. 
Exactly 3 years later, euro notes and coins came into 
circulation. Today the euro is used by consumers and 
businesses in 18 member countries, known collectively 
as the euro area. The euro has proven resilient during 
the sovereign-debt crisis, retaining its purchasing power 
as the EU has come to the aid of high-debt countries. 
It is also widely used in international payments and is 
one of the world’s major currencies, alongside the US 
dollar and the Japanese yen. At the beginning of 2015, 
Lithuania will become the 19th country to adopt the 
euro.

The EU single market gives consumers a wider choice  
of items to buy at competitive prices when shopping at home, 
abroad or online. 

INTERNAL MARKET 
4

their powers in certain fields. On this basis, the EU 
leaders agreed a timetable for a number of new rules 
in order to ‘complete the single market’. This succeeded 
and on 1 January 1993, the single market became a 
reality for the then 12 Member States.

Today, the single market comprises 28 countries. 
Through agreements between the EU and Iceland, 
Liechtenstein and Norway, most single market rules 
also apply in these countries (as part of the European 
Economic Area), except for laws on fisheries and 
agriculture. Within the EU, passport-free travel without 
any border control is allowed in 22 countries belonging 
to the Schengen area.

But the single market is far from achieving its full 
potential. And now, with the crisis that has rocked the 
EU economy, it is more important than ever to address 
areas where the single market does not yet function 
as it should to the benefit of citizens and businesses, 
for example services, which account for over 70% 
of economic activity in the EU and are crucial to the 
single market. Despite considerable progress in some 
specific service sectors, the overall internal market for 
services is not yet working as well as it should. Another 
of the key areas with the greatest growth potential is 
the digital economy, which, with the world’s increasing 
dependence on technology, is more important than ever.

There are also important socioeconomic factors at 
play. An ageing population highlights the need for more 
financial security, while growth in the use of IT tools 
and the Internet among all age groups means more 
people are shopping online. So, appropriate legislation is 
needed in these areas. In addition, more integrated and 
interdependent financial markets — and the spread of 
online banking and electronic transactions — demand 
stronger regulation and oversight at EU level.

The people speak

European citizens are, in general, satisfied that the 
single market offers a bigger choice of products, 
more jobs and fair competition, according to a 2011 
Eurobarometer survey. On the other hand, the single 
market is still perceived by many as benefiting only 
big companies, worsening working conditions and not 
improving the lives of poor and disadvantaged people. 
The survey shows that the single market is still far from 
complete, and that more than a third of all Europeans 
(35 %) are not aware of the benefits it has to offer.

Moving beyond the crisis

The economic and financial crisis has hit the EU hard, 
causing economic contraction and resulting in over a 
quarter of young people being out of work. The crisis 
has affected EU member countries differently — with 
five requiring emergency aid — and exposed structural 
weaknesses in several countries. It has also damaged 
public finances and shaken public trust in the banking 
sector.

But the crisis is not the end of the road. The EU can 
emerge stronger through better coordination between 
economic policies and a better functioning of the single 
market, and by putting the financial sector under a 
single supervisor and one set of rules. Completing — 
and restoring confidence in — the single market is an 
important element in the effort to put the EU on the 
path towards economic recovery.

The euro is used as the single currency by consumers and 
businesses in 18, soon to be 19, EU countries, known 
collectively as the euro area.

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THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
5

How the EU manages the internal market

The European Commission has several tools at its 
disposal to ensure a well-functioning single market 
for all. In the past, the main ways of solving problems 
were through adopting new legislation or taking legal 
action against EU countries. Today’s approach is more 
ambitious and practical, based on close cooperation 
between the Commission and EU countries, as well 
as with citizens and companies about how the single 
market works in practice. Also, IT tools and the Internet 
have transformed the way information is provided, 
so it is easier and quicker for the Commission to 
collect feedback from those affected by new rules and 
regulations.

After new legislation is adopted, authorities monitor 
how it is implemented and applied. To be effective, 
national authorities need to be connected with each 
other across borders so that they can work together 
to tackle any problems that arise. Feedback from 
each stage of the cycle is collected and evaluated so 
that policymakers can decide whether new legislation 
is needed or whether existing legislation should be 
adapted or repealed.

The single market has played an important role in 
helping the EU weather the financial and economic 
crisis. But the crisis has nonetheless hit Europe very 
hard and much of the growth and many of the jobs that 
had been created have been lost. In response to this, 
the Commission put together a set of key measures 
designed to create a deeper and better integrated 
single market. Adopted in two stages, the Single Market 
Acts I and II aimed to remove the barriers preventing 
the single market from realising its full growth and 
employment potential.

Consulting the public

When considering what direction to take, the 
Commission often seeks input from the public, 
businesses, trade associations, unions and others 
through what is known as an open consultation, usually 
conducted online. Interested parties can submit their 
experiences and suggestions in writing. The Commission 
takes these views into account when drafting new 
legislation, and then ensures that it is properly 
implemented and enforced throughout the EU.

The Single Market Forum plays an important role in 
policy evaluations by monitoring the implementation of 
the Single Market Act and its impact at grassroots level. 
The forum periodically gathers market participants 
(businesses, social partners, non-governmental 
organisations and those representing citizens, public 
authorities at various levels of government and 
parliaments) and examines the state of the single 
market, the transposition and application of directives, 
and exchanges best practice.

The scoreboard shows whether  
EU rules are enforced

EU rules have to be ‘transposed’ into national law 
in order to work. Since 1998, the Commission has 
rated Member States’ records in implementing and 
enforcing single market rules through an ‘internal 
market scoreboard’. In the online reporting system, it 
is possible to see the best and worst performers by 
means of a chart using traffic lights — green for above 
average, yellow for average and red for below average, 
where countries have to beef up their efforts. Despite 
the present economic turmoil, the EU Member States 
continue to implement almost all EU rules — only 
0.7 % of single market directives are not transposed 
into national law on time.

Taking legal action over infringements

Each Member State is responsible for implementing EU 
law in a correct and timely fashion, and it is up to the 
Commission to ensure that they do so. Consequently, 
where a Member State fails to comply with EU law, 
the Commission has powers of its own to try to end 
the infringement and — as a last resort — may refer 
the case to the EU’s Court of Justice in Luxembourg. 
There are several formal stages in the infringement 
procedure, which often begins with an investigation 
by the Commission in response to a complaint. The 
Commission can also launch an investigation on its own 
initiative if it believes that there is a problem.

INTERNAL MARKET6

If the matter is not solved in the exchanges of opinions 
between the Commission and the Member State 
government, the Court of Justice might be asked to 
deliver a judgment stating whether or not there has 
been an infringement. But the Court can neither annul 
a national measure found to be incompatible with EU 
law nor order the Member State to pay damages to 
an individual adversely affected by an infringement of 
EU law. It is rather up to the Member State concerned 
to take whatever measures are needed to comply. 
If the Member State still does not comply, then the 
Commission may return to the Court to request periodic 
penalty payments until the infringement is brought 
to an end, and/or request that a lump sum penalty be 
imposed on the Member State.

Rulings often set important precedents in clarifying 
points about existing legislation. An example is 
that the Court has repeatedly ruled against special 
‘golden share’ voting rights for the state in privatised 
companies, saying that such privileges hamper the free 
movement of capital.

A pro-consumer competition policy

EU policies on competition and the single market 
go hand in hand, since the former policy is all about 
applying rules to make sure businesses compete 
fairly with each other. This creates a wider choice for 
consumers and helps improve prices and improve 
quality. There are a number of competition cases where 
the Commission’s actions have resulted in a direct 
benefit for consumers across the single market. One 
example is in the telecommunications field, where 
mobile phone operators were overcharging to connect 
calls from another operator’s network (up to 10 times 
more than for fixed lines).

In 2009, the Commission instructed EU telecoms 
regulators to ensure that these connection rates were 
based on their real costs. The Commission has fined 
individual operators for their anticompetitive practices, 
all of which has led to cheaper phone rates and a more 
transparent pricing system across the EU. For more 
information about the EU competition policy, see the 
‘Competition’ brochure in this series.

Getting the word out

Informing citizens and businesses about the rights and 
opportunities offered to them by the single market is 
one of the European Commission’s most important 
tasks. The Internet makes it easy to spread the word 
quickly and efficiently, and to give regular updates in all 
EU languages.

The Your Europe portal provides user-friendly practical 
information for EU nationals and businesses, from 
travel documents and passengers’ rights to opening 
a bank account in another EU country and what to do 
in case of unforeseen medical treatment while on a 
temporary stay in another member country. Businesses 
can also get a handle on taxes and accounts, and where 
to apply for funding from banks or venture capital 
funds supported by the EU.

Looking for a job? Why not try working abroad? The single 
market guarantees all EU citizens the right to work and study 
in other EU countries. 

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THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
7

Extending a helping hand

But the EU does more than just get information out to 
individuals and businesses. Through various channels, 
it actually helps them make the most of the single 
market and overcome real-life problems. Any EU 
citizen shopping for goods and services in other EU 
countries, Iceland or Norway who needs advice can 
contact the European Consumer Centres . Free of 
charge, the centres give practical tips on saving money 
and avoiding problems. They also provide expert help 
in filing consumer complaints, always starting with an 
attempt at an amicable solution.

In 2006, the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network 
was launched. This network links the national authorities 
of all EU countries and allows authorities to assist each 
other in preventing harmful commercial practices that 
contravene EU consumer rules in cross-border situations 
— for example by exchanging relevant information. Since 
its launch, the network has handled over 1 200 mutual 
assistance requests and over 200 alerts.

The Solvit network directly assists citizens and 
businesses to find fast and pragmatic solutions to 
problems caused by the misapplication of EU rules by 
public authorities. Some of the most common problems 
relate to recognition of professional qualifications, access 
to education, residence permits and social security.

Businesses seeking to provide services in more than 
one EU member country can also get information about 
relevant procedures and requirements through so-called 
points of single contact — single entry points they can 
access electronically either at home or in another EU 
country. European entrepreneurs, meanwhile, can get 
a wide range of free business support, including expert 
advice on EU single market legislation from patents to 
taxation issues, from the Enterprise Europe Network, 
which has close to 600 member organisations in 50 
countries.

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European industry is more competitive when companies can 
sell their products all over the single market.

Last but not least, the European Employment Services, 
or EURES, is a cooperation network and job-mobility 
portal that helps facilitate the free movement of 
workers within the European Economic Area (also 
including Switzerland). Set up in 1993, the purpose 
of EURES is to provide information, advice and 
recruitment/placement (job-matching) services for 
workers and employers or anyone wishing to benefit 
from the principle of free movement.

INTERNAL MARKET 
 
 
8

What the EU does

Completing the single market is a priority for the 
European Commission as it seeks to reinvigorate the 
European economy after the crisis. In the past few years, 
it has taken a number of measures to boost the economy 
and create jobs.

Priority actions for new growth

One of the European Commission’s main goals has been 
to improve access to finance for start-up companies, 
which often lack the resources needed to recruit staff, 
launch new products or build up infrastructure, putting 
them at a competitive disadvantage. For this reason 
the Commission proposed a regulation setting uniform 
rules for the marketing of venture capital funds across 
Europe. Since July 2013, the new single rulebook should 
help these funds attract more capital commitments and 
become even bigger, opening up growth prospects for 
entrepreneurial enterprises.

Another priority has been to improve the recognition 
of professional qualifications. In November 2013, a 
modernised Professional Qualifications Directive was 
adopted, making it easier for professionals to get their 
qualifications recognised when working in another 
Member State, whilst guaranteeing a greater level 
of protection for consumers and citizens. Improving 
worker mobility in the EU is also an ongoing priority, in 
light of the fact that many posts for highly qualified 
personnel remain vacant. The Commission proposed 
the introduction of a ‘European professional card’, to 
help people get quicker and easier recognition of their 
qualifications across the EU.

In February 2014, new rules were adopted on public 
procurement and the award of concessions. Public 
procurement rules set out the way public authorities buy 
goods, works and services. The Europe 2020 strategy 
stresses that public procurement policy must ensure the 
most efficient use of public funds and that procurement 
markets must be kept open EU-wide, even more so 

Thanks to single market legislation, households and businesses can now choose their energy supplier.

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THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
9

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EU single market directives 
establish EU-wide product 
safety and environmental 
requirements.

given the financial crisis. The new rules bring simplified 
procedures, greater flexibility and have been adapted to 
better serve other public sector policies and allow for the 
best value for money. This will make public procurement 
more efficient and strategic, whilst respecting the 
principles of transparency and competition to the benefit 
of both consumers and economic operators. Concessions 
are partnerships between the public sector and 
mostly private companies, where the latter exclusively 
operate, maintain and carry out the development of 
infrastructure or provide services of general interest. 
Concession contracts underpin an important share 
of the economic activity in the EU. The new rules are 
designed to make it easier to conclude concessions and 
therefore public-private partnerships, encouraging new 
investments, promoting a quicker return to sustainable 
economic growth and contributing to innovation and 
long-term structural development of infrastructures and 
services. 

Also a priority is the digital economy, and in March 
2013, the Commission proposed new rules to slash 
the cost of rolling out high-speed Internet by 30 %. 
The rules are based on best practices already tried 
out in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Lithuania, the 
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and 
the United Kingdom. The EU initiative nonetheless 
leaves organisational issues largely to the discretion of 
member countries.

To boost consumer confidence, the Commission 
proposed in February 2013 new safety rules for 
consumer products circulating in the single market, as 
well as stepped-up market surveillance for non-food 

products, especially those imported from outside 
the EU. The objective is to keep harmful products 
from getting into consumers’ hands and to improve 
traceability so that they can be easily identified and 
quickly withdrawn from the market in the event of a 
problem. Once adopted by the European Parliament and 
the Council, the new rules will be enforced by national 
market surveillance authorities. These authorities will 
work more closely together to coordinate product safety 
checks, especially at the EU’s external borders.

In the years ahead, the Commission also aims to 
contribute to the development of social enterprises 
in Europe  — which serve the community’s interest in 
terms of social, societal and environmental objectives 
rather than only seeking profit  — and the social 
economy at large. The EU may also have a role to 
play in encouraging crowd-sourced funding, known as 
crowdfunding, via the Internet, to help fill the financing 
gap for small firms and start-ups. In June 2013, the 
Commission organised a first workshop to explore 
various issues related to crowdfunding, and followed up 
with a study into possible policy initiatives.

A single market for consumers

The single market exists for the benefit of the EU’s  
500 million consumers, who have the right to buy 
goods and services from any merchant (under the same 
conditions and contractual obligations everywhere). 
The more they can make informed choices, the greater 
the impact on strengthening the single market and on 
stimulating competition, innovation and growth.

INTERNAL MARKET  
 
10

In particular, the European Commission has worked 
hard to ensure that consumers are not faced with 
different treatment due to their nationality or residence. 
The Services Directive prohibits such discrimination 
in order to put an end to practices by businesses 
that unjustifiably hamper access to their services by 
residents in other Member States. 

But the Internet’s impact goes well beyond just 
shopping or more easily accessible entertainment. The 
digital single market can be seen as part of the solution 
to Europe’s sluggish economic recovery, encouraging, 
for example, SMEs to go online in search of new 
markets. And the internet is changing the way people 
work, offering more flexible working arrangements that 
were not previously possible, which in turn helps make 
Europe’s labour markets more efficient.

The digital single market

Although many people may take the Internet for 
granted, many of the networks and services that have 
developed over the past 20 years owe their existence to 
a proactive and flexible EU policy towards the Internet. 
The latest gadget or fashion may now be ordered from 
another European country and delivered to the front 
door. A company located at one end of the continent 
may join forces with one at the other end to offer a 
better service or greater selection of products. In this 
modern, online world, the buyer also has more power to 
influence service through e-mail or publishing a review 
online. And in the cultural realm, thanks to the EU’s 
single market policy, the public can now access digital 
versions of European literature, films, paintings and 
other artistic creations through the Europeana.eu web 
portal.

More competition in the energy market

Through single market legislation introduced over the 
past decade and a half, in combination with competition 
enforcement, national energy markets are no longer 
controlled by state-owned monopolies but are open to 
suppliers from abroad. As a result, private households 
and businesses are now free to choose their suppliers. 
More cross-border trade in the energy sector also 
helps prevent supply disruptions and power cuts in EU 
member countries. Several European energy companies 
are also now active in more than one member country, 
increasing competition among service providers.

You can find out more about the EU’s energy policy in 
the publication in this series on ‘Energy’.

Downloading data when abroad
(per MB)

Calling from abroad (per minute)

Sending an SMS when abroad

CHEAPER MOBILE ABROAD

300

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100

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2007 

2010 

2014

Eurotariff is the maximum price allowed under EU law. It was first 
introduced in 2009, for data download in 2012.

The EU has achieved price reductions for roaming of over 
80 % since 2007.

Studying and working abroad

Today, most educational diplomas and professional 
qualifications gained in one EU country are recognised 
in others, while EU programmes such as Erasmus+ 
enable hundreds of thousands of Europeans to study 
or train abroad every year. Besides offering personal 
benefits to individuals, these initiatives also boost 
the European economy. According to a Eurobarometer 
survey 56 % of citizens see the free movement of 
people as the most positive outcome of European 
integration. The majority also thinks that it benefits the 
economy. 

Benefits for European companies

Every company in the EU has access to 28 national 
markets and 500 million potential customers. This 
allows larger businesses to benefit from economies 
of scale, while allowing small and medium-sized 
companies to tap into new markets. These 
entrepreneurial companies are particularly important to 
the European economy, creating 85 % of all new jobs in 
the EU. They are also among the EU’s most innovative 
companies, key to coming out of the crisis. The 
advantages of the single market also help companies to 
compete in countries outside the EU.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
 
11

Protecting innovation

To create a genuine single market, restrictions on the 
freedom of movement and anticompetitive practices 
must be eliminated or reduced as much as possible, 
while creating an environment that fosters innovation 
and investment. Within this context, the protection of 
intellectual property is key to the success of the single 
market. To make it easier and cheaper for businesses 
operating in more than one EU member country, the 
Community trademark was established in 1993. In 
practice, this means that businesses pay less to register 
a trademark, with those filing their applications via the 
Internet able to save even more.

Companies will also soon be able to apply for a single 
patent for an invention, which will be valid in 25 EU 
Member States, instead of filing separate patent 
applications for each country. This will slash costs and 
red tape for businesses, especially smaller firms.

There are a number of ways in which the EU’s single 
market policy makes it easier to do business in Europe. 
One of these is through mutual recognition, which 
ensures that national technical rules do not stand 
in the way of the free trade of goods within the EU. 
Subsequently, a product lawfully produced or marketed 
in one member country may be sold in any other 
member country. It is estimated that single market laws 
have cut the administrative burden for EU companies by 
25 % since 2007.

Sustainable and safe industry

Beyond the free circulation of goods, single market 
directives have also set EU-wide safety and 
environmental requirements for products across several 
categories. These laws not only enable products to 
circulate freely throughout the EU, but they have also 
led to huge benefits for European citizens. Products 
have become much safer. When consumers see a 
product with the ‘CE’ label or marking, this means 
that the manufacturer guarantees that it has met all 
applicable directives and that the product can be sold 
throughout the EU. This is good for businesses wishing 
to sell across borders as well as for shoppers, who can 
rest assured that what they are purchasing is safe and 
up to standard.

Companies save money due to the European-wide patent, as they no longer have to apply for 
separate patents  for different countries. 

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INTERNAL MARKET 
12

What’s next?

In the past few years a number of concrete measures 
have been adopted that have gone a long way to 
improving the way the European single market works. 
But despite this, there are still a number of gaps to 
be closed in the single market, mainly in the areas of 
services, digital and energy.  These require in some 
cases an action at EU level in order to further remove 
administrative barriers and help individuals and 
companies make the most of the single market. The 
single market gaps can already be tackled through the 
correct implementation of the existing legislation by 
the Member States. The Commission is increasingly 
promoting the idea of partnerships with and between 
Member States, including peer reviews and sharing best 
practices. Looking forward, the European single market 
needs to be further developed in order to exploit its 
untapped potential as an engine for growth.

Europe needs new enterprises. 

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Find out more

 X For an overview of EU single market policy see the Commission’s website at:  

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm

 X For a list of public consultations: http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/consultations/index_en.htm
 X For the Your Europe portal for citizens and businesses: http://europa.eu/youreurope/
 X For a guide to services offered to small businesses by the Enterprise Europe Network and success stories 

about the entrepreneurs it has helped: http://een.ec.europa.eu

 X Questions about the European Union? Europe Direct can help: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 

http://europedirect.europa.eu

ISBN 978-92-79-42535-6
doi:10.2775/8449

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED