Resolution on the old challenges and new commercial practices in the internal market

The European Parliament adopted by 306 votes to 80, with 57 abstentions, a resolution on the old challenges and new commercial practices in the internal market.

The resolution reaffirmed that the single market has been a cornerstone of European economic integration, enabling the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. It stressed, however, that there are long-standing and emerging challenges that necessitate ambitious reforms without harming European competitiveness or imposing unnecessary administrative burdens on companies.

Old and enduring challenges

Parliament called on the Commission and the Member States to:

- accelerate efforts towards implementing these reforms and to eliminate remaining unjustified obstacles to the free movement of goods and services, while ensuring a high level of consumer protection;

- maintain strong consumer protection while also providing for competition rules that are innovation-friendly, future-proof and proportionate;

- simplify EU rules and make them easier to implement, and to significantly reduce administrative burdens, in particular for SMEs, which play a vital role in sustaining local communities and economies;

- facilitate the activities of SMEs and small mid-caps within the single market, notably with a dedicated simplification omnibus;

- investigate the causes for the differentiated levels of the inflation of basic goods and consumer price increases observed in some EU Member States;

Emerging commercial practices

Highlighting that the rapid expansion of digital platforms and e-commerce has introduced new market dynamics and has created advanced opportunities and challenges and risks for users, Parliament called for the proper enforcement of the EU’s new technology legislation to ensure genuine, autonomous and informed consumer choice, protection and fair competition. It considered it essential to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) which constitute key legislative instruments ensuring fair competition, contestability and fairness in digital platforms.

Illicit goods

The resolution highlighted that the volume of unsafe and illicit products sold on ecommerce platforms, in particular from non-EU countries, has been increasing in recent years. It called on the Council to swiftly adopt its position in order to enable the adoption of the revised Union Customs Code and the establishment of an EU customs authority in 2026.

Increased funds

Member States and the Commission are called on to ensure sufficient funds and expertise to strengthen customs authorities and market surveillance across the Union and to intensify joint activities and EU testing. There is a need to strengthen consumer protection in both online and offline markets, ensuring transparency in advertising and pricing, especially concerning dynamic pricing, ensuring fair business practices and stronger safeguards against fraud to foster consumer trust in cross-border commerce and the highest level of protection.

Harmonised technical standards

Stressing that harmonised technical standards are essential for the free movement of goods within the single market, ensuring product safety, quality and performance across the Member States, Parliament considered that the EU must increase its efforts to set up a new mechanism with the Member States and national standardisation bodies to share information, coordinate and strengthen the European approach to international standardisation activities.

External dimension

The resolution stressed the need to reinforce the external dimension of the single market to safeguard the EU’s strategic autonomy and global influence. Members called on the Commission to intensify regulatory dialogues and political cooperation with other relevant non-EU countries in order to identify common challenges and try to build joint actions, especially concerning e-commerce, digital rules and consumers.

Conclusions

Recognising that geopolitical tensions, climate change, challenges to EU competitiveness and economic disparities pose significant risks to the integrity of the single market, Parliament called for a robust, coordinated and strategic policy response to strengthen the single market. It stated that eliminating regulatory fragmentation, promoting simplification, significantly reducing administrative burdens, enhancing enforcement and ensuring resilient supply chains are critical to maintaining the EU’s competitive edge and fair market conditions and enhancing the single market.

The Commission is urged to reflect the foregoing in the forthcoming new single market strategy, scheduled for June 2025, in the 2030 consumer agenda, scheduled for the end of 2025, and in the Digital Fairness Act, scheduled for 2026.