Last week, agreement was reached between the EU institutions on the “One Europe, One Market” roadmap, setting a clear path to further integrate the Single Market by the end of 2027.

The roadmap confirms a strong political push to remove remaining barriers within the EU Single Market, improve competitiveness and the trade environment, with concrete measures to be delivered already in 2026–2027. (timelines page 4 & 5)

The objective is to make the EU market of 450 million consumers function more as a single, frictionless market for goods and services.

Key takeaways are:

1. Simplification of cross-border trade

New measures aim to reduce administrative burdens and fragmentation across Member States (e.g. documentation, procedures, national rules).

Acceleration of EU Free Trade Agreements with Mexico, Mercosur, Switzerland, Indonesia, India, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.

• Expected benefits:
  • Easier multi-country distribution
  • Lower compliance costs
  • Faster market entry for new products

2. Harmonisation of product rules (labelling, packaging, standards)

• EU leaders are pushing for greater alignment of product requirements across countries.
• Potential impact:
  • Fewer national variations in labelling/packaging
  • Streamlined product compliance strategies
  • Reduced need for country-specific SKUs

3. Tighter rules for imported products

• The roadmap includes steps toward stronger enforcement of product standards for imports.
• Relevance:
  • More level playing field vs. non-EU competitors
  • Increased scrutiny on supply chains and compliance documentation

4. Acceleration of digital and administrative processes

• Planned actions include simplified EU-wide procedures (e.g. e-declarations, faster company set-up).
• Expected benefits:
  • Easier cross-border operations
  • Reduced bureaucracy for retail and distribution structures

5. Focus on competitiveness and cost reduction

• The broader agenda addresses high costs, regulatory burdens and market fragmentation highlighted by industry.
• This aligns with long-standing concerns from the FESI regarding:
  
  • Overregulation
  • Uneven enforcement across Member States
  • Barriers to scaling across the EU

Timeline

• 2026: Initial legislative proposals and simplification measures
• 2026–2027: Adoption of key reforms (product rules, admin simplification, market integration)

End 2027: Target for a more fully integrated Single Market

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We will continue to monitor the legislative follow-up and remind the EU in that these principles should be included in all the current regulatory developments.