Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Central Bank, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank. A single market for growth and jobs: an analysis of progress made and remaining obstacles in the Member States. Contribution to the annual growth survey 2014

The financial and economic crisis has shown the need for deep structural reforms in Europe. In response to this, the Commission has rolled out an ambitious programme to make the Single Market work better. The Single Market Acts I and II lay down a set of legislative proposals and other measures to boost growth and employment in Europe. The Commission has also issued recent proposals to further complete the digital Single Market. Swift adoption of all remaining proposals is needed to effectively unlock the full potential of the Single Market and make the Single Market fit for the 21st century.

For the Single Market to function well however, reforming the EU legislative framework is not sufficient. For citizens, consumers and businesses to effectively reap the benefits of the Single Market, rules must work in practice. Vigorous and consistent efforts are needed to ensure that markets function well and remaining barriers are lifted. Five years after the start of the crisis, there are signs of recovery. Many Member States have taken steps to drive through reforms and create better market conditions, in spite of short-term tendencies to shield off national markets.

This report aims at reviewing in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy the way the Single Market functions within the various Member States. It takes stock of where progress has been made since the start of the crisis and seeks to identify where bottlenecks remain and defines a set of policy priorities on that basis. The report thus contributes to the overall priorities set in the Commission's Annual Growth Survey 2014, and to the further identification of country-specific recommendations in the context of the European semester.