Single market: Action plan

In adopting the report by Mr Karl von WOGAU (PPE, D), the European Parliament is lending its support to the Commission's action plan and hopes that it will lead to a genuine single market by the year 2002. It attaches particular importance to creating the preconditions for the realization of free movement of persons and the definitive abolition of passport controls between Member States. In the field of taxation, Parliament calls for: a reduction of the burden of taxation on labour; a plan for the phased introduction of the country of origin principle up to the year 2002; proposals designed to eliminate the inadequacies of the present VAT system; introduction of a lower rate of VAT for labour-intensive SMEs; approximation of excise rates; proposals for the elimination of double taxation of frontier workers; elimination of tax havens; common principles regarding taxation of capital. Parliament also considers that an efficiently functioning infrastructure is a fundamental requirement of the home market. In particular, it calls for the development of high-speed rail networks, liberalization of speech telephony services as planned, development of satellite communications, promotion of new renewable forms of energy, and development of the pipeline network. Parliament stresses the importance of standardization as an instrument of industrial policy and considers it necessary to improve present structures, in particular by amalgamating the three European standardization bodies. It also calls for the simplification and clarification of legislation and better protection of intellectual property. Dialogue with and information for the citizen must also be intensified. On the subject of company law, the legal framework must be developed, in particular by adopting the European Company Statute and other measures to facilitate the cross-border movement of companies. Special attention should be devoted to the way in which SMEs can participate in internal market. Finally, Parliament reaffirms its view that a single market requires a single European currency and an economic policy based on the principles of an ecological and social market economy. �