European Parliament
Louis Grech  (S&D ),
in writing.
– I welcome the Annual Growth Survey’s prioritisation of initiatives to restore normal lending to SMEs, promote growth and competitiveness, tackle unemployment and address the social consequences of the crisis. However, we must not only talk about theory and priorities. The scale of the challenges before us demands that we take concrete, measurable action on these issues. In this regard, this year’s Annual Growth Survey makes it clear that our efforts to address the crisis continue to be held back by the uneven implementation in the Member States of decisions made at EU level. This is evident in the Single Market, where spotty implementation of rules makes it difficult, for example, for citizens to shop online with companies based in another Member State. The Commission correctly identifies that this type of spotty implementation, or indeed ‘gold-plating’ by adding unnecessary administrative burdens, must be addressed to unlock fully Europe’s potential for economic growth.

