One of the fundamental objectives of united Europe is the establishment of a single internal market amongst the EU member-states, within which people, goods and services may enjoy freedom of movement, without paying duties or encountering other barriers.
The EU’s internal market now encompasses several sectors within which community legislation applies (e.g. regulations, directives, framework decisions) and continues to be promulgated. These sectors, which constitute the community acquis and the first of the EU’s three pillars, include Employment, Social affairs, Consumer Protection, Health, Competitiveness, Industry, Research, Education, Culture, Youth, the Environment, Transport, Energy, the Audio-visual sector, and Telecommunications. Since a process of co-decision by the European Parliament and the Council is used for most of the foregoing issues, the majority of legislative proposals concerning those sectors tend to be simultaneously submitted for deliberation to the competent Committees of both the European Parliament and the Council.
Greece is taking action to promote community legislation and sectoral policies and to transpose them in time into national law, to the benefit of both consumers and businesses.
Of particular importance amongst the overall objectives are: boosting growth and competitiveness, especially for small and medium enterprises, achieving a business climate which is more conducive to entrepreneurship, consumer and health protection, raising the standard of living for EU citizens, safeguarding employment and improving conditions in the workplace, raising educational standards, protecting the environment, further improving transport and communications networks, and preserving and promoting the cultural identity and heritage of the peoples of Europe.
Achieving these objectives has taken on huge scope and significance within the framework of the Lisbon Strategy, which in the year 2000 established the goal of making the EU the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. The 2006 Spring European Council proposed actions in four priority areas for the renewed Lisbon Strategy: investing in knowledge and innovation, investing in people and modernising labour markets, unlocking the business potential, especially of SMEs, and energy and climate change.
Greece is taking an active part in these processes, aiming to extend its role within the new European and international environment, to bolster its participation in European integration, to determine priorities and to achieve the established objectives in the interests of its citizens. In order to achieve these objectives it is essential that Greece should cooperate creatively with the other member-states, as well as with the various agencies and bodies of the EU institutional framework.
The Spring European Council held in March 2008 marked the completion of the first three-year cycle of the renewed Lisbon Strategy and launched the second cycle (2008-2010). The first cycle first consisted in the drawing up of National Reform Programmes (NRPs) and subsequently, in their mutual evaluation by the member states. The progress reported with regard to reforms has been satisfactory, and member states continue to make progress towards achieving the Lisbon Strategy objectives . The European Commission has noted that the new three-year cycle of the Lisbon Strategy will use the same criteria for National Reform Programmes. EU member states are to intensify their efforts in order to step up the reform process, particularly in areas such as social benefits, services, reaching the objective of 3% of GDP for research, or tackling the lack of measures in favour of flexicurity in the job market.
Last modified: February 2009