12-Point Strategy to enhance the EU Single Market

APPLiA, the leading trade association representing home appliance manufacturers in Europe, released a comprehensive 12-point strategy to inform the upcoming EU’s Single Market Strategy and unlock the full potential of Europe’s most valuable asset.

The approaching publication of the EU’s Single Market Strategy is the best opportunity to understand what kind of future Europe wants to have in place for its manufacturing system. We reiterate the importance of having a real Single Market and a clear and valid regulatory framework for everyone allowing companies to operate with stability and certainty.

APPLiA Director General Paolo Falcioni said: “Current inefficiencies in the EU Single Market are driving costs up and competitiveness down, for Europe’s home appliance manufacturers. The urgency is clear. European companies are being penalised by unnecessary complexity, making it harder for them to compete globally. We need decisive action from the EU to remove these barriers and restore the Single Market's effectiveness, ensuring a level playing field for all.”

The publication pinpoints key obstacles that hinder the Single Market's effectiveness and directly impact home appliance manufacturers – from the proliferation of differing national sustainability rules to the fragmentation and resource limitations of national market surveillance authorities, and the complexities of ensuring compliance in the growing online marketplace. 

APPLiA proposes 12 clear solutions and a roadmap to resolve some of these longstanding structural issues that have plagued the Market for years.

A well-functioning Single Market is vital for the European home appliance industry's growth, its ability to innovate sustainably, and its capacity to compete globally. Our strategy is designed to eliminate national deviations that hold back the sector’s business models and impede the transformation of European economies.

Our 12 recommendations:

1. Harmonise product regulation and policy
2. Develop and Implement Harmonised Standards
   
3. Mandate Mutual Recognition of Standards
4. Strengthen Market Surveillance and Enforcement
5. Ensure Meaningful Consequences for Non-Compliance
6. Increase Responsibility for Online Marketplaces
7. Promote Cooperation
8. Support Policies for Informed Decision-Making
9. Promote Sustainability
10. Foster Innovation
11. Promote Open and Fair Competition
12. Implement Digital Labelling

Read the full strategy