On Wednesday, May 21st, the European Commission presented a new strategy aimed at relaunching the Single Market, one of the cornerstones of the European project, though still a structure that has yet to take root fully.
This time, the focus is on the services sector, especially in areas with high economic impact such as construction, postal services, and telecommunications. The main objective is to eliminate internal barriers, which, according to the International Monetary Fund, represent economic burdens equivalent to tariffs ranging from 50% to 110%, hindering many companies from operating freely within the common space.
This figure was published in a report from December 2024. Now, the European Commission presents it as its idea. Stéphane Séjourné, the Commission’s Vice-President for Industry, explained to the press that the goal is to reinforce the competitiveness of European industry in an increasingly uncertain international context. “The internal market is the only thing we control,” he emphasized, alluding to the difficulty of reaching trade agreements with powers like the United States or strategic partners in Asia. The strategy, to be developed between 2025 and 2026, aims to consolidate the common economic space as a bastion of stability for European companies.
Among the proposed measures, the Commission aims to simplify regulations for small and medium-sized enterprises, digitize product information and labeling, facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications across member states, and accelerate the creation of common standards for goods traded throughout the EU.
The creation of a new category of “small” mid-cap companies—those with between 250 and 750 employees—is also foreseen. These firms would benefit from the same regulatory exemptions as SMEs, potentially saving up to 400 million euros annually in regulatory costs.
As for postal services, Brussels will introduce a ‘Delivery Act’ to harmonize national regulations, starting with universal service obligations. In the construction sector, a ‘Construction Act’ is planned to modernize the industry and facilitate access to affordable housing, an increasingly pressing need in many European capitals. Regarding telecommunications, while there are no specific legislative measures yet, the Commission has pledged to reduce fragmentation among national markets. This would encourage the emergence of large pan-European operators capable of leading innovation investments, such as the rollout of 6G—an area currently dominated by China.
The Commission even reserves the right to intervene directly in creating technical standards when the industry fails to reach a consensus, as is currently the case with products like batteries, heat pumps, or medical devices, whose manufacturers have been waiting years for standard rules.
Although large parts of the business sector have welcomed the initiative, it nonetheless raises concerns among those closely following the overall direction of European integration. On the surface, it appears to be all about making life easier for companies. But underneath, these measures could be part of a broader process: the progression, through technical and economic pathways, toward a Union increasingly reminiscent of the idea of a United States of Europe—an ambition that has lingered since the very founding of the EU, and that now seems to be looming on the horizon.
