“One Europe, one market”: von der Leyen announces EU competitiveness roadmap

Brussels – “One Europe, one market’: this is the title of this summit,” as the goal that the heads of state and government of the EU countries have set themselves and as the European Commission is ready to work towards. The meaning of the day is provided by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who announces and promises to “present at the next summit of the European Council” on 19–20 March “an action plan and a timetable, with objectives and deadlines.” A strategy that will be called “One Europe, one Market“, which “we want to achieve by the end of 2027,” she emphasises, already offering previews of the competitiveness agenda draft, which in Brussels is much more than just a draft, but a project already underway. 

Von der Leyen announces guidelines for mergers in April, to allow mergers and acquisitions that will create large operators “capable of competing on the global market, and not just on the European market.” The aim is to allow the emergence of those “European champions”, as the President of the European Commission defines them, which have been lacking until now, hindered not only by EU rules but even more so by national governments.

Before the next leaders’ summit, therefore, within the next month, the Commission also intends to present the Industrial Accelerator Act, the European draft law to enable the creation of businesses more quickly, with rules that are the same everywhere and recognised in every EU Member State. Also, before 19 March, “we will present the 28th regime,” the regulatory framework for digital business. “By June,” von der Leyen continues, “we intend to launch the first stage of the savings union,” and if no progress is made, we will consider proceeding through enhanced cooperation,” with a minimum of nine countries out of the 27 in the EU. 

The energy market cannot be left out of the agenda for “one Europe, one market”. The European Commission intends to present a detailed programme on infrastructure and market organisation. “We have not reached a conclusion on this, but I will bring several proposals for options to the next European Council summit.”