SINGLE MARKET

Date: 12/06/1997

Internal Market Commissioner Mario Monti and Commission President Jacques Santer have pushed the proposal for an action plan to complete the single market high up the summit agenda.

Their double act aims to win warm and enthusiastic support from EU leaders for the idea of plugging the gaps in free movement measures, according to an agreed timetable, by January 1999.

The Commission is urging a three-stage approach. The first would essentially be a tidying-up exercise, with laggard countries forced to put into practice legislation already agreed, single market enforcement rules improved, and dates set for telecoms and electricity liberalisation to take effect.

The second stage would see the adoption of laws on biotechnology, the European Company Statute, the marketing of information services and the opening of Europe's gas supply market.

The final raft of measures would embrace problematic areas where the Commission has already made proposals but must tread carefully - such as tax reform to tackle unfair competition, a new framework for energy levies and increased rights for consumers - and those where it has still to set out its stall.

The latter include proposals on pensions reform, new rules on state aids, late payments, copyright and related rights, and the distance selling of financial services.