The functioning of the single market must be simplified and obstacles must be removed in order to promote long-term investment in infrastructures, new technologies and job creation – which are the keys to sustainable growth.

On 24 April, the European Parliament’s EPP group sent a letter to the European Commission to this effect, in which it urges the executive to improve implementation and enforcement of the rules governing the single market and calls for determined and concerted action in three key areas: stimulation of growth and job creation for SMEs; cutting red tape to reduce bureaucracy; and structural reforms for growth and employment.

EPP President Joseph Daul (France) is convinced that: “the ‘euro plus pact’ and the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy are the right road maps, but they will only be successful if their targets are binding”. Daul goes on to say that his group is ready to support “a ‘fast-track infringement procedure’,” adding that “We may want to consider establishing an ‘internal market prosecutor’ who could prepare infringement procedures independently and submit these to the College of Commissioners for adoption”.

To recall, in February 2011 Parliament adopted a report by Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D, Germany), which called for a reinforcement of sanctions against recalcitrant capitals (see Europolitics4142).

The new Article 260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) allows the Commission to sanction member states that are behind schedule, earlier than previously – by combining legal action before the Court of Justice for failure to meet obligations with a daily penalty payment for persistent transposition delay. The Commission already used this in October 2011 against Germany, Greece and Austria with regard to the Services Directive (4297).