Citizens to the fore
In early October, I headed the European Parliament’s representation of the SIMFO (Single Market Forum) Steering Committee at a Single Market Forum jointly organised by the European Commission, the EP and the Polish Government, which holds the current Presidency of the EU, in Krakow. Some 1,200 participants from a wide cross-section of European civil society and economic organisations, as well as public authorities and MPs from national parliaments, attended the event.
I gave a presentation about the Top 20 Concerns of citizens and consumers about the Single Market, and was a keynote speaker on one of the eight workshops which dealt with the gap between citizens and the Single Market.
The main message I wanted to convey was that, despite a lot of good will, those involved in the decision-making process in Brussels are at times far removed from the real life concerns of European citizens. This explains why citizens, consumers and businesses have become progressively disillusioned with the Single Market, and have lost their confidence in it. I argued that the word ‘single’ does not exactly reflect the actual state of play in the market, since it is riddled with fragmentation, bureaucracy, and inconsistent transposition and implementation of EU laws and legislation.
Harking back to my Report about a Single Market for Citizens and Consumers, which was so well-received, I urged a bottom-up approach which will make the Single Market a catalyst for further development, whilst at the same time giving it a human face. This citizen-focused approach would champion citizens’ interests, protect consumer rights, and enable SMEs to compete effectively.
EU Treaty Changes
Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has called for urgent changes to the treaty of the European Union to ensure that there will be no repeat of the sovereign-debt crisis in the eurozone.
Protecting children
The European Commission has joined forces with major technology firms including Apple, Facebook and Google to improve the protection of children online. The coalition will develop an age-based online ratings system and aims to strengthen privacy settings.
Euro a bad idea
Sixty percent of Germans believe the euro is not a good idea, according to a poll released Sunday in a German news magazine, nearly a decade after euro coins and notes were introduced. Eighty-five percent of those questioned said they believed the euro had driven up prices,
