Website: The external dimension of the Internal Market

Completing the Internal Market is not merely an inward-looking exercise. For the Internal Market to function properly, its principles must also be adequately reflected in international relations touching upon Internal Market policies. Virtually all Internal Market policies carry to some degree an 'international dimension': financial services, intellectual property, public procurement, postal services, professional services, company law, accounting and auditing rules, money laundering and data protection - to name some examples. All these policies, including the underlying Internal Market principles, need adequate and consistent consideration in the negotiation of international agreements, notably in the context of enlargement, in regulatory dialogues with third countries and in all the other international fora where the Commission takes a position on Internal Market policies, whether bilateral or multilateral.