Single Market Programme

KEY POINTS

The programme’s general aims are to:

• improve the functioning of the internal market, notably to protect and empower the public, consumers and businesses, especially SMEs, by
  • enforcing EU law, facilitating market access and setting standards
  • promoting human, animal and plant health and animal welfare
  • respecting sustainable development and ensuring a high level of consumer protection
  • enhancing cooperation between national authorities, the European Commission and decentralised EU agencies;
• develop, produce and disseminate high-quality, comparable, timely and reliable European statistics to
  • underpin the design, monitoring and evaluation of EU policies
  • assist the public, policymakers, authorities, businesses, academia and the media to make informed decisions
  • help the above groups to participate actively in the democratic process.

These overall aims are achieved through the following specific objectives:

• making the internal market more effective, especially with digital transformation, preventing and removing illegal obstacles (€452 million over the 7-year period) and ensuring only safe and compliant products may be offered for sale;
• strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of SMEs, including various forms of support, promoting new business opportunities and developing industrial value chains (€1 billion);
• ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market through high-quality European and international standards (€221 million);
• promoting consumer interests and a high level of consumer protection and product safety, including in financial services (€200 million);
• contributing to a high level of health and safety for humans, animals and plants throughout the food chain, including eradicating animal diseases and plant pests, fighting antimicrobial resistance and developing sustainable food production and consumption (€1.7 billion);
• developing, producing, disseminating and communicating high-quality European statistics (€552 million).

The 7-year budget to implement the programme is €4,208,041,000 (current prices). Up to 5% of the budget may be used for various technical and administrative purposes, such as preparation, monitoring, control, audit, evaluation and use of information technology networks.

Non-EU countries may take part in the programme subject to certain conditions. These include the right of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, to protect the EU’s finances.

Article 8 and Annexes I (plant, animal, food and feed) and II (European statistics) set out the many activities eligible for funding under the programme’s general and specific objectives.

Legal entities¹ are eligible for funding if they are:

• based in an EU Member State or a linked overseas country or territory, or in a non-EU country associated with the programme;
• created under EU law or are an international organisation;
• based in a non-EU country not associated with the programme, but their activities are in line with its objectives.

Article 10 sets out the entities which may receive a grant without a call for proposals. They range from national market surveillance authorities to the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group and the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs.

Co-financing rules state that:

• in certain circumstances the programme may cover up to 100% of eligible costs. Elsewhere, the range is between 50% and 95%;
• activities may receive finance from the single market programme and other EU funds provided the contributions do not cover the same costs.

The Commission:

• sets out work programmes by 30 April for the following year;
• monitors and reports on the programme’s progress towards meeting its specific objectives, using indicators in Annex IV;
• prepares an annual report for the European Parliament and the Council on the activity of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation;
• provides an interim evaluation of the programme no later than 4 years after its start and a final evaluation at the time of its completion;
• presents the 2 evaluations to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions and makes them publicly available;
• consults the European Statistical System Committee and the European Statistical Advisory Committee when preparing the evaluations;
• implements user-friendly information and communication activities to raise awareness among the public, businesses and public administrations about finance available under the programme;
• may adopt various implementing and delegated acts.

The legislation repeals Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 from 31 December 2020.