COVER STORY
The role of the EU single market
GDP growth if the single
market for services is fully
implemented
would be created by the
further development of the
EU single market
of the EU’s GDP is created by
the services sector
Sources: European Commission; Council of the European Union
What Are we Actually Negotiating?
The notion of accession negotiations can often
be misleading, especially when it comes to the
Single Market. The adoption of and alignment
with the entire EU acquis is not a subject of any
negotiation process. What can be negotiated are
the deadlines and some aspects regarding the
manner to achieve some of the objectives
prescribed in some directives. While certain
transition periods are allowed for issues that have
only domestic implications (although more and
more rare with each enlargement), no such
transition is allowed when it comes to the Single
Market. A country that is joining the EU needs to
have all the preconditions in place before the
accession date.
Moreover, most of the chapters that are to be
negotiated in the framework of the accession
process are to a certain extent related to the
Single Market. They either directly facilitate and
underpin its establishment (like the chapters
related to the free movement of goods/workers/
capital, freedom of establishment and provision
of services, enterprise and industrial policy,
economic and monetary policy, competition
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EMERGING MACEDONIA
policy, company law etc.), or affect in some way
the operations of domestic businesses (like the
chapters on energy, environment, agriculture,
food safety etc.). The fulfillment of the political
criteria also has an impact on the functioning of
the Single Market because it provides the much
needed political stability and legal certainty for
economic operators, helps to establish a level-
playing field by reducing the informal economy,
and contributes to eliminating corruptive
practices.
Finally, joining the Single Market goes hand in
hand with the transfer of many competences in
the area of economic policy from the national to
the EU level. This means that once Macedonia
joins the EU, it will not be fully autonomous to
make decisions related to different economic
issues, but will need to comply with binding
decisions adopted by the European institutions.
That makes it all the more important to advocate
for a serious, transparent and inclusive EU
accession process that will create favorable
conditions for Macedonian companies and
citizens to reap the benefits, and not “suffer the
consequences” of the Single Market.