In times in which Schengen is at stake, the European Single Market, which includes free movement of goods, services, persons and capital, is more than ever a cornerstone of European integration. We spoke to Alessandro Pastacci, CoR rapporteur on 'Upgrading the Single Market' and President of the Province of Mantova, Italy, who makes in his draft opinion – scheduled to be adopted at the April CoR plenary session -a series of concrete requests to the European Commission.
The functioning of the single market seems to be closely linked to the current discussion on the Schengen area being called into question...
Yes, indeed. The single market is a fundamental element as regards consolidating and strengthening the EU and is closely linked to the free movement of European citizens, goods and capital. The more these elements increase our ability to be part of a single area of activity, the more the single market consolidates its size, thereby strengthening the whole EU model vis-à-vis other global reference markets.
Which of the European Commission's proposals do you think should be improved, particularly as regards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
The issue of SMEs is central to policies aimed at the growth and development of the EU economy, which is strengthened by the gradual completion of the single market. The Commission should focus its attention more on tools to support SMEs, ranging from tax policies, to labour costs, to greater mobility between countries, to the recognition and protection of European products. I also regret that the social economy, which represents 11 million jobs and 2 million businesses in the EU, is missing from the European Commission's proposal.
