Friday

24th Mar 2023

EU citizens no longer see benefits of internal market, Barnier says

The EU needs to revert to the principles of a social market economy as its citizens no longer feel served by the single market, EU internal market commissioner Michel Barnier has said.

Speaking to a group of journalists on Monday (20 September), the centre-right French politician pleaded for finding "the means for reconciliation between citizens and the European economic project. And to re-find the initial objective [of the European Community] which was very much a social market economy."

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Barnier: 'The financial crisis is like the environmental crisis, people have very short memories' (Photo: European Parliament)

He indicated citizens no longer realise that the internal market, long considered among the EU's most cherished achievements, "improves their lives."

The current economic climate with member states on the defensive amid rising unemployment and citizen unrest has made his job more difficult. The internal market remains vulnerable to the "increase in populistic and nationalistic tendencies," he said.

The commissioner has two major initiatives in the pipeline to safeguard the "heart of the European project" – the relaunch of the Single Market next month, a major undertaking containing between 30 and 40 new proposals, as well as a proposal on making sanctions for market abuse "heavier."

A former foreign and farm minister, Mr Barnier is also being closely watched for how he deals with regulating financial services where the current laissez-faire culture is seen as having led to the global economic crisis.

Having secured on Wednesday (22 September) what critics say is too weak an agreement on financial oversight in order to prevent such a crisis happening again, the commissioner has a raft of other proposals in the offing including on regulating short selling; improving transparency in the derivatives market; strengthening sanctions for violations of financial services laws and forcing banks to put aside more capital reserves.

He remains attached to the idea of a European ratings agency - ratings agencies analyse the risks facing companies and bonds issuers and were blamed for failing to anticipate the financial crisis - and says that the idea of the tax on financial transactions is one of the major questions ahead of him and his colleagues.

Financial services, argues the commissioner, must be put back at the "service of the real economy."

The drive to regulate risks being undermined not only by national capitals, particularly London, home to the EU's most important financial centre, but also a creeping complacency about the crisis being over.

"The financial crisis is like the environmental crisis, people have very short memories. It is our responsibility as politicians to remind people and to fully learn the lessons of the crisis and not let people forget those lessons," the commissioner said.

"This includes banks who - though I stress not all of them - say to us that now it is 'business as usual'."

With the European Commission having come under fire in the past from both the European Parliament and some member states for reacting too slowly to the economic crisis, Mr Barnier says he believes the executive is now "doing what is expected of [it]."

"I believe very strongly in the commission's sole right to propose legislation [and] that we must use it in a proactive way and not in a defensive way. And that it is something I try to do in my own area."

Comparing his current mandate to his time as regional commissioner in 1999-2004, Mr Barnier noted that one of the biggest differences is the increase in the number of member states, from 15 to 27, and the greater powers and "diversity" of the European Parliament. This makes getting agreement on issues a much more time-consuming affair, he said.

'Final warning' to act on climate change, warns IPCC

The United Nations's report — synthesising years of climate, biodiversity, and nature research — paints a picture of the effects of global warming on the natural world, concluding there is "no time for inaction and delays."

EU launches critical raw materials act

The EU presented its strategy to ensure access to critical raw materials needed for clean technologies. No country should supply more than 65 percent of any key material. Currently, China dominates almost all rare earth metal markets.

'The race is on', EU Commission warns on green tech

The EU Commission is expected to detail its plans on Thursday as part of the Net-Zero Industry Act on industrial incentives, and the Critical Raw Materials Act, which seeks to reduce EU over-reliance on China.

Looser EU fiscal rules agreed, with 'country-specific' flexibility

EU finance ministers agreed on new spending rules, copying much of previously existing rules. One worry is that only three countries — Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg — could currently afford to meet green commitments while meeting debt and deficit rules.

Opinion

EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict

Solar panels, wind-turbines, electric vehicle batteries and other green technologies require minerals including aluminium, cobalt and lithium — which are mined in some of the most conflict-riven nations on earth, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, and Kazakhstan.

Latest News

  1. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict
  2. Okay, alright, AI might be useful after all
  3. Von der Leyen pledges to help return Ukrainian children
  4. EU leaders agree 1m artillery shells for Ukraine
  5. Polish abortion rights activist vows to appeal case
  6. How German business interests have shaped EU climate agenda
  7. The EU-Turkey migration deal is dead on arrival at this summit
  8. Sweden worried by EU visa-free deal with Venezuela

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us