EuroCommerce Responds to EU's Single Market Strategy 2025: "A Good Start, But Not Bold Enough"

Following the publication of the 2025 Single Market Strategy by the European Commission, EuroCommerce—the European association for retail and wholesale trade—has welcomed the initiative as a first step toward addressing long-standing issues, but emphasized the need for greater ambition and political will.

Christel Delberghe, Director General of EuroCommerce, stated:

“The EU Single Market is Europe’s greatest asset. The Commission’s Strategy addresses important and timely issues, such as territorial supply constraints. However, many barriers faced by the retail and wholesale sector for years remain unaddressed.”

Positive Steps – But More Is Needed

EuroCommerce expressed strong support for key actions announced in the Strategy, including:

• Enhancing the Single Market for waste.
• Improving market surveillance coordination among authorities.
• Promoting harmonized rules for digital labeling.
• Advancing the Digital Product Passport.
• Introducing legislation to prevent Single Market barriers.
• Developing guidance on proportionality of national retail regulations.

However, the association regrets the missed opportunity to commit to clear legislation eliminating Territorial Supply Constraints (TSCs)—a long-standing issue that hinders access to competitive cross-border sourcing.

The Price of Inaction: €14 Billion Annually for Consumers

Inaction on this front, EuroCommerce warns, comes at a cost: consumers are estimated to pay €14 billion more each year due to restricted access to better prices and product availability across EU borders.

Although TSCs are listed among the "Top Ten Worst Barriers" in the Commission’s Single Market report, EuroCommerce insists that only targeted legislation can end these restrictive practices. They urge the Commission to introduce such a law in 2026.

A Call for Cross-Commission Coordination

Retailers also highlight a lack of strong engagement from multiple Commission services with responsibilities tied to the Single Market—specifically, DG JUST, AGRI, SANTE, ENVI, EMPL, and TAXUD.

EuroCommerce calls for the same level of commitment across the entire Commission to deepen and strengthen the Single Market as a unified priority.

Missed Opportunities on Global Competitiveness and Regulation

EuroCommerce had hoped the Strategy would introduce:

• Stronger enforcement of EU law against third-country entities.
• Improved quality and applicability of EU legislation.
• A “reality check” for new rules, considering the global competitive environment.

Delberghe emphasized:

“Overregulation prevents businesses from fully using the EU's greatest strength—the Single Market. Rules need to be fit-for-purpose from the start. A stronger SME test should remove the need for later exemptions.”

EuroCommerce represents one in four SMEs in Europe.

Member States Must Also Step Up

EuroCommerce insists that concrete commitments are needed from EU Member States to:

• Publicly and explicitly commit to deepening the Single Market.
• Refrain from introducing unnecessary national rules that fragment the internal market.

In 2024 alone, 755 national draft measures were notified through the TRIS system, a sign of how quickly divergence continues to grow.

Most of the current barriers stem from exemptions, minimal harmonization, and the proliferation of national regulations. If such rules remain unchallenged, they undermine the legal certainty businesses need to fully benefit from the Single Market.