Single market, 2nd scoreboard, May 1998: progress of the action plan SMAP

Despite considerable progress over the last two years, the Single Market is still far from completion, according to a report from the Committee. The Committee applauds the considerable efforts undertaken by the Commission in this field, in particular the Action Plan for the Single Market and the accompanying Single Market Scoreboard. Reporting on the Second Scoreboard Report, José GARCÍA-MARGALLO Y MARFIL (EPP, E) underlines that while considerable progress has been made in certain areas (such as gas supply liberalisation and copyright) other important measures in the areas of free movement for persons and tax harmonisation has seen little progress. The Committee expressed deep concern that a full 15% of Single Market Directives have yet to be transposed by all Member States, and called on the Commission and Council to do their utmost to meet the remaining objectives of the plan before the end of the year. To tackle the remaining shortcomings, the Committee called upon the Commission to draw up a second action plan by early next year aimed at completing by the end of 2002, ie. in parallel with the introduction of the euro, a fully integrated Single Market with all the characteristics of a national market. Apart from seeking to achieve all the goals of the first action plan during 1999, the second action plan should in particular seek to introduce a common VAT system and guarantee full freedom of movement for persons. As transposition of directives into national legislation remains the main stumbling block, the Committee urges the Commission to use regulations as far as allowed by the treaties. Finally, the Committee urges the Commission to draw up a list for each Member States of Directives not yet transposed, and to use those lists for initiating proceedings before the ECJ as quickly as the Treaty allows.�