EU leaders push for rapid progress on single market after Alden Biesen summit
The heads of state and government of the European Union want to move quickly to complete the single market. "One Europe, one market. This is urgent and must be done in 2026 and 2027," EU Council president Antonio Costa said on Thursday after a summit on competitiveness at the Alden Biesen estate in Limburg, Belgium.
At a press conference after the meeting, Costa said leaders agreed that the EU must urgently address the many remaining obstacles to cross-border trade. Earlier estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggest these barriers are equivalent to an average tariff of 44 per cent on goods.
"Mentally, the leap from 'single market' to 'one market' has been made," Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever said. "If we can roll that out, then history will effectively have been made here. But if that fails miserably, then the opposite will be true."
Leaders also want to inject new momentum into the integration of capital markets. French president Emmanuel Macron said a limited number of countries would launch enhanced cooperation if no agreement among all member states is reached by June.
According to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, enhanced cooperation among at least nine member states is also an option to accelerate the launch of the upcoming "28th regime" initiative. The regime would introduce clear rules allowing companies to operate seamlessly across borders.
One Europe, One Market
Furthermore, Costa said leaders agreed to take measures to address high energy prices. There was also "broad consensus" on the need to better protect strategic sectors such as defence, cleantech, space, AI and payment systems, and to reduce Europe's dependence on other continents.
The conclusions reached on Thursday will be translated into concrete measures by the next summit in Brussels on 19 March, von der Leyen said. The result will be a "One Europe, one market" roadmap - an action plan with detailed timelines.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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