§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the determination by the Council of Ministers of the guidelines and conditions to be adopted by Member States and the Community in order to ensure balanced progress towards the internal market. [67934]
§ Mr. WilsonThe Vienna European Council on 11–12 December concluded that continued progress had been made to modernise, extend and simplify the Single Market, and welcomed the continued monitoring which the Commission would carry out through the Single Market Scoreboard. The Council also concluded that full and correct implementation of single market rules at national level was essential and that there were still some gaps in this which needed to be corrected without delay.
The Internal Market Council was asked to produce a report on the working of Single Market, and proposing further action on a number of priorities.
The Austrian and German Presidencies have been taking forward the important agenda of work in economic reform of product and capital markets to enhance competitiveness, economic growth and employment in which my noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe has played a very active role.