“Bringing single market, customs, tax and anti-fraud into one programme can create coherence — but only if it comes with adequate funding and less complexity for administrations on the front line. Our job is to make sure it works for territories, not just on paper.” said Emma Blain, Dublin City Councillor presenting her opinion on the EU Single Market and Customs Programme 2028–2034
The proposed initiative brings together five existing instruments — the Single Market Programme, the Customs Programme, the Customs Control Equipment Instrument, Fiscalis, and the Union Anti-Fraud Programme — into a single framework. SME support moves to the new Competitiveness Fund.
With a proposed budget of €6.2 billion, the programme aims to support regulatory enforcement, digital customs reform, tax cooperation and anti-fraud tools, as well as crisis-management mechanisms such as the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act.
Rapporteur Emma Blain (EPP/IE) stressed the importance of regional involvement: “This programme is the operating system of the Single Market. If it is to work, regions and cities must not be passive end users, but active partners in shaping and testing the tools that keep our market fair, digital, resilient and competitive.”
Local and regional authorities play a key role in market surveillance, public procurement, customs cooperation, crisis management and data-based anti-fraud measures. During the debate, participants underscored:
• the need to include LRAs in customs digitalisation and the EU Customs Data Hub,
• stronger involvement in emergency mechanisms to protect free movement during crises,
• support for administrative capacity and access to shared EU digital tools, and
• measurable outcomes to assess whether the programme reduces barriers for regional economies.
