The Internal Market

The strategy laid down by the European Council in Lisbon in March 2000 intensified in 2001, with increasing emphasis on the necessary structural reforms, especially as regards the goods and capital markets. The Strategy for the Internal Market, a five-year framework programme by the European Commission with four strategic goals, is brought up to date annually in cooperation with the member states.

Some important measures were prepared or adopted in 2001, for example directives concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services, on insurance mediation and trans-border payments, or regulations on general principles of food law, the setting up of the European food authority, and the statute of the European company. Some open questions concerning the proposed Community Patent were brought closer to agreement. A common report by the Council and the Commission submitted to the European Council at Laeken suggests setting up a policy framework for State aid to undertakings entrusted with the provision of services of general interest.

The European Council in Stockholm set the goal of raising the transposition rate of the Internal Market directives into national law to 98,5 per cent by the Barcelona European Council in March 2002. Subsequently, an improvement in the performance rate in this respect was achieved by the end of 2001.