30th Anniversary: What Has the Single Market Brought European Consumers?

European Single Market

‘European unity was a dream of a few people. It became a hope for many. Today it is a necessity for all of us,’ Konrad Adenauer, one of the founding fathers of the EU, spoke in 1954. The European Union has indeed become an integral part of our lives. The Single Market is one of its most tangible successes, making life easier for residents and creating new business opportunities every day.

The European Single Market allows goods, services, people and capital to move freely around the EU. It applies to the EU’s 27 Member States and extends to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the European Economic Area Agreement. Switzerland also has partial access.

Driver for growth

Over the past three decades, the Single Market has integrated Member States’ economies and has served as a driver for growth and competitiveness. It supports Europe’s economic and political power at the global level and has played an important role in the economic development of new Member States. Furthermore, the Single Market helps Member States find common solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow, like creating a greener and more digital economy.

Some impressive key figures:

• The Single Market has caused annual exports in the EU to grow five-fold: from € 671 billion in 1993 to over € 3,400 billion in 2022
• 440 million European citizens benefit from the Single Market. They enjoy more choice in products and services at competitive price levels and can live and work anywhere in the EU.
• 24 million companies are housed within the Single Market.
• 17 million Europeans live or work in an EU country other than their own.
• 15% of the world’s trade in goods is from the EU.

Consumer protection

European consumers are able to count on many of their consumer rights thanks to the Single Market. The right to repair has granted consumers a two year legal guarantee in which they have the right to repair or replace defective products without costs. Consumers can also count on the RAPEX system for product safety: a system for the rapid exchange of information between Member States and the Commission, used when a product poses a serious threat. Moreover, Europeans travelling into different countries are protected from large phone bills now that data roaming no longer comes with additional costs.

European Consumer Centres Network

For exports within the EU to continue growing, it is important consumer safety and confidence in the Single Market develop concurrently. ECC-Net is a network designed to put consumers at the heart of EU consumer policy. It provides consumers with free information and advice on their rights and assists them in resolving cross-border complaints. ECC-Net also helps to identify any challenges EU citizens face while buying across the internal market and raises awareness for such issues with EU policymakers. This way ECC-Net supports a well-functioning European Single Market and helps consumers to engage in cross-border transactions ever more confidently.