Activities of Malcolm HARBOUR related to 2013/2194(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: annual growth survey 2014 - European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects - Single market governance (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on Single Market governance within the European Semester 2014 PDF (203 KB) DOC (91 KB)
Amendments (14)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
– having regard to the Commission Communication of ... November 2013 entitled ‘Annual Growth Survey 2014’ (COM(2013)....) and the Commission Report entitled ’State of the Single Market Integration 2014 – Contribution to the Annual Growth Survey 2014’ (COM(2013)....) and to the attached background analysis 'International Value Chains Intra- and Extra-EU',
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines the need for comprehensive consultations and thorough impact assessments before the Commission adopts a proposal; stresses that Commission proposals must be in line with the principles of Smart Regulation, Regulatory Fitness and include an assessment of the impacts on SMEs, and must meet with the approval of its own Impact Assessment Board; stresses, furthermore, that impact assessments must evaluate the effects of new legislation on prospects for growth and on Europe's competitiveness;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the key sectors identified by the Commission – services, financial services, transport, energy and digital market – remain decisive for a full integration of the Single Market; believes,considers furthermore, that that in order to achieve renewed growth, the relaunching of a consistent and integrated industrial policy focusing on these sectors should be combined withalso include efforts to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights, both as consumers and as workers, with the relaunching of a consistent and integrated industrial policy and with a competitiveness model based on knowledge and innovation through adequate investment in research and' and consumers' rights, and a competitiveness model based on knowledge and innovation through EU incentives to drive investment and access to finance, R&D, and support for higher education;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the Member States of the European Council to swiftly adopt and implement the new legislative package on public procurement; highlights the importance of public procurement as a key driver of growth, particularly for SMEs;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges the Commission to develop a genuine European industrial policy; believes that re-industrialisation should be a cross-sectorial priority for the Union; considers that this new industrial policy should include the enforcement of Single Market rules, a holistic strategy for the external dimension of the Single Market based on reciprocity and shared minimum standards (in particular in social, environmental and safety matters), a level playing field on taxation and consumer protection policies, a proper management of industrial change and restructuring,, coherent consumer protection policies and an improved access to capital and infrastructures in order to increase companies’ competitiveness and facilitate their access to new markets;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines that improving infrastructure – in particular, cross-border connections and inter-operability – is essential for the effective functioning of the Single Market; believes that a single, interconnected and efficient European transport system is crucial to the smoothfree movement of goods, people and services; deplores, how within the Single Market; believer,s the absence of adequateat further investments that are essential to reach these objectives and reiterates that adequate forms of innovative financing wide range of financial instruments should be put in place for these projects;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the importance of athe consistent implementation of the package of concrete proposals submitted by the Commission in ordercurrent legislation and the further proposals to develop and complete the digital single market, in particular with regard to universal access to internet and up-to-date and transparent consumer protection mechanisms;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes the particular importance of supporting SMEs through the COSME and Horizon 2020 programme;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that the free movement of persons and workers across Europe is still not completed and that strongfully achieved; stresses that further measures are needed in order to remove the remaining obstacles and ensure the principle of equal treatment of workers; urges therefore the Member States to fully implement the Services Directive and the revised Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications; stresses that full and correct implementation of these Directives is a key driver of EU economic growth; calls furthermore on the Commission to hold Member States to account and to launch infringement proceedings where necessary;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the package of legislative proposals on ‘Connected Continent: Building a Telecoms Single Market’, for a Consumer Product Safety and Market Surveillance Regulation, and on disclosures of non-financial and diversity information by certain large companies and groups; believes that theseis initiatives can improve consumers´ rights, better guarantee consumer health and safety, and facilitate trade in goods and services, and encourage a new model of competitiveness; asks, therefore, the Commission to work closely with Parliament and the Council to reach a conclusion in a reasonable time;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges the Commission to submit the remaining proposals announced in the Single Markets Acts, in particular the revision of the Transparency Directive, the introduction ofnot to waste any more time or resources on proposals for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, the or a legislative proposal on common European rules of collective redress and the proposals facilitating long-term investment in the real economyllective redress; calls on the Commission to focus on achievable legislation that will deliver growth; asks the Commission, furthermore, to implement the Modernised Customs Code by developing harmonised e-customs practices;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Considers that supporting further initiatives for cross-border supply chains to be developed will drive the removal of longstanding barriers to completing the Single Market and can help to improve the productivity and competitiveness of European firms in the world economy;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Believes that the coherence and effective use of the reports on "the state of integration of the internal market" and analyses of "progress made and obstacles remaining" attached to the Annual Growth Survey could be significantly improved; calls in particular for the development of a Single Market integration analytical tool as part of the Single Market Scoreboard, which would take into account economic and regulatory performance indicators; composite indicators devised for this purpose would deliver a better evidence base and link between the realities of the Single Market and the annual cycle of the European Semester and enable the detection of patterns of economic integration which would inform the Country-Specific Recommendations;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes with surprise the claim that Member States bear sole responsibility for the length of allDeplores the average duration of infringement proceedings;, is specifically worried aboutn particular the fact that cases dealing with services take longest (49.8 months on average); calls on Member States to work more effectively with the Commission in resolving cases more swiftly and calls on the Commission to carry out further "sweeps" of national measures which are detrimental to the Single Market;