Single Market: Commission adopts new guidance documents to facilitate the free movement of goods

The free movement of goods is an essential corner stone of the Single Market that benefits European citizens and businesses. Ensuring and facilitating its smooth functioning is of paramount importance particularly in the current pandemic and for Europe’s economic recovery. Today, the Commission adopted three guidance documents that aim to help European citizens, businesses, but also national administrations to fully harness the Single Market for goods. Facilitating the free movement of goods and preventing national barriers is even more important in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, in which certain Member States introduced restrictive measures that disrupted the functioning of the Single Market. Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said: “Our internal market is the true driver of European recovery and prosperity, and the coronavirus pandemic taught us to cherish its value and not to underestimate its vulnerabilities. The guidance documents published today will help ensure a more uniform implementation of rules on the free movement of goods and improve how the Single Market functions.” Specifically, the Guidance on the implementation of the 2019 Regulation on Mutual Recognition offers detailed information on various aspects of the Regulation, including on the mutual recognition declaration for operators, the assessment of goods for national authorities, and on support services provided by SOLVIT centres and Product Contact Points. The guidance on the application of Treaty provisions regarding the free movement of goods gives an overview of the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the EU on obstacles that may affect goods and operators in the Single Market. The guidance on the market surveillance of goods clarifying Article 4 of the new Market Surveillance Regulation aims to strengthen market surveillance in the EU and help ensure that products reaching the EU market, particularly those sold online, comply with EU product rules. The documents deliver on the actions foreseen in the Commission’s Single Market Enforcement Action Plan published in March 2020 and will help to strengthen the implementation of rules in the Single Market in order to support Europe’s path to recovery.