ECON members today unanimously adopted a draft opinion on the European Commission’s proposal for the Single Market and Customs Programme 2028–2034, stressing that a well-functioning Single Market requires the systematic involvement of local and regional authorities in implementation and enforcement — particularly in border, peripheral and outermost regions.
Rapporteur Emma Blain (IE/EPP), Member of Dublin City Council, said: “At a time of geopolitical fragility, the Single Market and Customs Programme is a strategic anchor for Europe’s economic strength and resilience. It underpins competitiveness and security, but it will only deliver if it works on the ground, in every region. Local and regional authorities must therefore be recognised as core partners in implementation and enforcement, with cohesion and territorial insight embedded at the heart of the programme so the Single Market delivers real benefits for citizens and businesses across the EU.”
She also underlined that Cohesion Policy is not merely complementary but fundamental to the proper functioning of the Single Market, and called for stronger territorial governance, better administrative capacity, and closer alignment with other EU funding instruments. In her draft opinion, rapporteur Emma Blain (IE/EPP) highlights several priorities to reinforce the programme’s territorial impact and operational effectiveness, including:
• Ensuring proper territorial impact assessments, and financing the successor to the Commission’s Fit for Future Platform;
• Strengthening the territorial dimension of governance and monitoring, building on the programme’s mid-term evaluation, which shows that while administrative cooperation improves, capacities remain uneven across EU territories and implementation challenges are growing due to the increasing complexity of market surveillance, consumer protection and data collection;
• Expanding training, digital tools and cross-border cooperation, with local and regional authorities actively involved;
• Investing programme resources to sustain and complement actions under other EU funding schemes, and ensuring reciprocity in how other instruments reinforce Single Market objectives;
• Providing targeted support for outermost regions and their authorities to facilitate Single Market access, reflecting their unique circumstances;
• Improving evidence-based policymaking through the programme, with the systematic involvement of the Committee of the Regions’ Better Regulation tools, including its Regional Hubs Network.
The draft opinion is scheduled for adoption in Plenary on 4–5 March 2026.
