30th Anniversary of the Single Market

Submitted by ECCP Team on 16 January 2023

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1993 – 2023
In 2023, Europe’s single market turns 30!

Since its creation in 1993, the single market has helped to make everyday life easier for people and businesses, fuelling jobs and growth across the EU. It is one of the EU’s greatest achievements.

Today, the single market continues to be the driving force for the EU in addressing new challenges. It can help find solutions to tackle climate change, build up a clean and secure energy supply, and support the digitalisation of our economy. The single market is also the backbone of Europe’s resilience, allowing it to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current energy crisis by helping companies diversify their supply chains and find new business opportunities.

What are the key benefits of the single market?
  • Creates new opportunities for people and businesses
  • Sets common values and standards
  • Helps businesses to grow as well as to weather difficult times
  • Supports finding solutions to new challenges
Key achievements of the single market
  • Living and working across the EU:
    • Erasmus 
    • Professional qualifications 
    • Safety of personal data
    • Vaccines 
    • Energy provision
  • Customer products and services:
    • Safety and quality of consumer products
    • Energy efficiency of products 
    • Right to repair
    • Roaming
    • Common charger

  • Businesses:

    • Making business easier for SMEs 

    • Timely payments

    • Public procurement

    • Unitary patent 

    • Critical inputs and technologies

Single Market Programme (SMP)

The Single Market ProgrammeSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• (SMP) is the EU funding programme to help the single market reach its full potential and ensure Europe’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. With €4.2 billion over the period of 2021-2027, it provides an integrated package to support and strengthen the governance of the single market.

Single market activities throughout 2023

Want to find out what the single market does for you or join the celebrations? Look no further.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the single market, you’re invited to join us at one of the many events, talks and exhibitions organised by the Commission and many different stakeholders that will take place throughout 2023 across the EU.  

  • 7-8 December 2022 - Prague academic and policy conferences
  • February 2023 - April 2023 - Social media campaign
  • 16-17 January 2023 - January EP plenary session: debate
  • 22 February 2023 - Adoption of SM30 communication
  • 2 May 2023 - Single Market Forum
  • April 2023 - December 2023 Travelling exhibition
  • 17-21 April 2023 - Hannover Messe 2023, the world's leading industrial technology trade show.
  • Q4 2023 - Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) annual conference and SME Assembly

For more information about the single market and upcoming events this year, visit: 

https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/30th-anniversary_en

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