“Not only is a well-functioning Single Market fundamental to the EU, it is also paramount for local and regional development, competitiveness and jobs. Regions and cities depend on the systems financed by the Programme to ensure fair competition, support SMEs, manage border flows, protect consumers, and maintain trust in the Single Market,” were the opening remarks of Emma Blain (IE/EPP), Councillor in Dublin City Council during the stakeholders meeting held for her opinion on the Single Market and Customs Programme.
The stakeholder meeting focused on how the Single Market and Customs Programme can better support cities and regions in driving competitiveness, investment and jobs, while ensuring a fair and well-functioning Single Market for businesses and citizens.
Regions and cities at the heart of implementation
During the consultation, participants discussed how the Programme’s priorities match the needs and challenges faced by regions and cities, and how local and regional authorities can make better use of the tools it provides. The debate revolved around a number of key questions, including:
• Whether the Programme’s current priorities reflect real needs on the ground in terms of competitiveness, SMEs, consumer protection and customs management.
• Which elements are still missing from a local and regional perspective, including support for public administrations implementing Single Market, customs, tax and anti-fraud rules.
• How regions and cities can best leverage the Programme to strengthen their role in implementing Single Market and customs policies and supporting businesses, in particular SMEs.
• Whether the Programme provides sufficient backing to build and ramp up administrative capacity at local and regional level.
Stakeholders also examined how the Programme could better facilitate the participation of regions and cities in the policy fields it finances, and how it interacts with other key EU initiatives such as the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal and EU competition policy.
Coherence, budget and integration of systems
The consultation provided an opportunity to assess the overall design and financial architecture of the Single Market and Customs Programme, including:
• The coherence between the Programme and other relevant EU policies and instruments.
• The integration of Single Market, customs, tax and anti-fraud systems into a single programme and its implications for local and regional authorities.
• The adequacy and distribution of the EUR 6.2 billion budget across the Programme’s policy areas, in light of the growing expectations and responsibilities placed on regional and local administrations.
Participants stressed the importance of ensuring that the Programme remains sufficiently flexible to respond to new challenges, supports innovation and digitalisation, and provides practical tools that can be used by administrations of all sizes, including smaller municipalities.
Next steps
The input gathered during today’s stakeholder consultation will feed directly into Emma Blain’s draft opinion on the Single Market and Customs Programme for the European Committee of the Regions. The draft opinion will be discussed in the relevant CoR commission before being submitted to a forthcoming CoR plenary session for adoption.
By placing local and regional authorities at the centre of this process, the opinion aims to ensure that the Programme’s design and implementation reflect the realities on the ground and help unlock the full potential of the Single Market for citizens and businesses across the EU.
