Removing Single Market Barriers: Challenges and Perspectives
The COVID-19 pandemic has limited the functioning of the single market, which has contributed to a 24% drop in intra-EU trade in second and third quarter of 2020. In addition to pre-existing barriers, the Member States introduced new, often permanent, restrictions on cross-border economic activity. In order to restore the full economic potential of the EU, including global competitiveness, in March 2020 the European Commission (EC) published a long-term action plan to strengthen the single market. However, growing protectionism of the Member States poses challenge for implementing this concept.
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