The old challenges and new commercial practices in the internal market

Amendments tabled for the plenary sitting on this text, in their own numbering series. This is a different set from the committee amendments tracked elsewhere on AmendEU, and is not counted in any of the site’s amendment totals.

1. Amendment 1RenewMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 11 a (new)
   Amendment

   11a. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the activities of SMEs and small mid-caps within the single market, notably with a dedicated simplification omnibus;

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2. Amendment 2The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital A
   Current text

   A. whereas the European Union’s ability to compete and prosper in the global economy is vital, especially amid the current geopolitical challenges and climate and other environmental crises; whereas its current, medium and long-term competitiveness relies on a fully integrated and efficient single market that allows European businesses to innovate and prosper and prioritises the reduction of administrative burdens;

   Amendment

   A. whereas the European Union’s ability to compete and prosper in the global economy is vital, especially amid the current geopolitical challenges, the climate crisis and other environmental crises; whereas its current, medium and long-term competitiveness relies on a fully integrated and efficient single market that allows European businesses to innovate and prosper;

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3. Amendment 3The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital B
   Current text

   B. whereas the single market, comprising nearly 450 million citizens and 23 million businesses, generates a gross domestic product (GDP) of EUR 17 trillion, positioning the EU among the world’s three largest economies and contributing approximately one-sixth of global economic output;

   Amendment

   B. whereas the single market, comprising nearly 450 million citizens, 200 million workers and 23 million businesses, generates a gross domestic product (GDP) of EUR 17 trillion, positioning the EU among the world’s three largest economies and contributing approximately one-sixth of global economic output;

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4. Amendment 4The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital C
   Current text

   C. whereas the Draghi report demonstrated that compliance costs resulting from various pieces of legislation remain very high for European companies, therefore hindering European innovation capacity;

   Amendment

   deleted.

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5. Amendment 5The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital D
   Current text

   D. whereas it remains crucial to improve the functioning of the single market by addressing persisting fragmentation through common, harmonised EU policies, more efficient implementation and enforcement, and the simplification of EU rules; whereas reducing administrative burdens and costs, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), can help foster innovation and support European businesses; whereas unlocking the full potential of the single market requires overcoming persistent barriers to the free movement of goods and services;

   Amendment

   D. whereas it remains crucial to improve the functioning of the single market by addressing persisting fragmentation through common, harmonised EU policies, more efficient implementation and enforcement, and the simplification of EU rules; whereas reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and costs is crucial in order to support European citizens’ well-being;

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6. Amendment 6The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital E (new)
   Amendment

   E. whereas the green and digital transitions require an update to single market rules in order to set the right conditions to achieve a fairer, more sustainable and digitally fit EU; whereas regulatory tools must be aligned with those policy objectives; whereas single market rules to boost competitiveness must not come at the expense of safe and good-quality jobs within the EU;

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7. Amendment 7The LeftMotion for a resolution · Recital F
   Current text

   F. whereas geopolitical shifts and global economic transformations are reshaping supply chains, requiring the EU to adapt its single market policies; whereas the EU has set the highest standards for product safety and consumer protection, both offline and online;

   Amendment

   F. whereas geopolitical shifts and global economic transformations are reshaping supply chains, requiring the EU to adapt its single market policies; whereas the EU has set high standards for product safety and consumer protection, both offline and online;

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8. Amendment 8The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 4
   Current text

   4. Underscores that, as demonstrated by the Letta and Draghi reports, there is still untapped potential in the services sector; calls for further action in this sector to address the significant obstacles that persist, starting from setting ambitious targets in the upcoming single market strategy; notes that services account for three quarters of EU GDP, represent two thirds of employment and create 9 out of 10 new jobs in the EU economy; notes also, however, that services are still the least developed segment of the EU single market;

   Amendment

   deleted.

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9. Amendment 9The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 5
   Current text

   5. Welcomes the proposal for a regulation on a public interface connected to the Internal Market Information System for the declaration of posting of workers and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 (COM/2024/531), which should lead to simplification and strengthened enforcement; notes also that digitalisation could significantly reduce administrative burdens for cross-border services and ensure better access for businesses and consumers; calls, in this regard, for a single declaration portal and the digitalisation of A1 forms for cross-border services;

   Amendment

   5. Stresses that the proposal for a regulation on a public interface connected to the Internal Market Information System for the declaration of posting of workers and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 (COM/2024/531), which should lead to strengthened enforcement, must not lead to a decline in wages and working conditions and a race to the bottom;

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10. Amendment 10The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 7
    Current text

    7. Stresses that single market rules should safeguard access to public services and preserve consumer rights as well as other overriding reasons of public interest; adds that any assessment to evaluate restrictions in the single market for services should include qualitative criteria;

    Amendment

    7. Stresses that single market rules should safeguard access to public services and preserve consumer and worker rights as well as other overriding reasons of public interest; adds that any assessment to evaluate restrictions in the single market for services should include qualitative criteria;

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11. Amendment 11The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 8
    Current text

    8. Notes the role that EU public procurement can play in overcoming barriers to market entry, supporting sustainable and resilient industrial ecosystems, high quality jobs and value creation in the EU;

    Amendment

    8. Notes the role that EU public procurement can play in overcoming barriers to market entry, supporting sustainable, resilient and green industrial ecosystems, high-quality jobs with good working conditions and value creation in the EU;

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12. Amendment 12The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 11
    Current text

    11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to simplify EU rules and make them easier to implement, and to significantly reduce administrative burdens, in particular for SMEs, which play a vital role in sustaining local communities and economies; stresses the importance of ensuring legal certainty and consistency for businesses, as well as predictability for long-term investments, which are essential to boost competitiveness, innovation and resilience and to deliver fast and meaningful improvements for consumers and businesses; calls, furthermore, on the Member States to prevent actions that could compromise the level playing field in the internal market;

    Amendment

    11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to make EU rules easier to implement, and to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens; stresses the importance of ensuring legal certainty and consistency for businesses, as well as predictability for long-term investments, which are essential to boost competitiveness, innovation and resilience and to deliver fast and meaningful improvements for consumers, workers and businesses; calls, furthermore, on the Member States to prevent actions that could compromise the level playing field in the internal market;

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13. Amendment 13The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 13
    Current text

    13. Stresses the importance of maintaining a competitive and dynamic economic environment by safeguarding consumers’ rights and enforcing digital competition rules to address unfair business practices that distort market conditions; calls, furthermore, on the Member States to increase the capacity of market surveillance authorities and customs authorities to ensure effective enforcement of single market rules, particularly in respect of e-commerce and imports from non-EU countries;

    Amendment

    13. Stresses the importance of maintaining a competitive and dynamic economic environment by safeguarding consumers’ and workers’ rights and enforcing digital competition rules to address unfair business practices that distort market conditions; calls, furthermore, on the Member States to increase the capacity of market surveillance authorities and customs authorities to ensure effective enforcement of single market rules, particularly in respect of e-commerce and imports from non-EU countries;

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14. Amendment 14The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 16
    Current text

    16. Considers that the single market is a key tool in times of crisis if the Member States can act in a coordinated way; considers that the recently adopted Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act2 will be crucial to ensure coordination in order to prevent shortages and ensure the smooth functioning of the single market, including the free movement of essential goods and services throughout the EU; __________________________________ 2 Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 establishing a framework of measures related to an internal market emergency and to the resilience of the internal market and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2679…

    Amendment

    16. Considers that State aid measures are a key tool in times of crisis; highlights the key role that the relaxation of State aid rules played in keeping the EU single market afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic and during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; calls, therefore, for greater certainty and proactive measures in relaxing State aid rules for future crises that the Union may face, for the benefit of the single market; considers that the recently adopted Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act2 will be crucial to ensure coordination in order to prevent shortages and ensure the smooth functioning of the single market, including the free movement of essential goods and services t…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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15. Amendment 15The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 28
    Current text

    28. Underlines that environmental sustainability and fair-trade considerations are increasingly shaping commercial practices by playing an important role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and consequently driving businesses towards sustainability; adds that transparency and information for consumers on environmental aspects as well as on socially-responsible and ethical production processes allow consumers to adopt sustainable consumption patterns;

    Amendment

    28. Underlines that environmental sustainability, fair-trade considerations and regulatory frameworks are increasingly shaping commercial practices by playing an important role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and consequently driving businesses towards sustainability; adds that transparency and information for consumers on environmental aspects as well as on socially-responsible and ethical production processes allow consumers to adopt sustainable consumption patterns;

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16. Amendment 16The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 29
    Current text

    29. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maintain their level of ambition in this regard and work further on EU-wide labelling schemes; recalls that the objective of the Green Claims Directive is to establish a tool to protect consumers against greenwashing by establishing requirements for substantiation and verification;

    Amendment

    29. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maintain their level of ambition in this regard and work further on EU-wide labelling schemes; recalls that the objective of the Green Claims Directive is to establish a tool to protect consumers against greenwashing by establishing requirements for substantiation and verification; stresses, against this background, the importance of maintaining and reinforcing sustainability laws such as the Green Claims Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive1a and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive1b; ______________ 1a OJ L, 2024/1760, 5.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj. 1b OJ L 322, 16.12.202…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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17. Amendment 17The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 30
    Current text

    30. Highlights the need to further combat misleading advertising and greenwashing and to strengthen the second-hand market; notes, however, that restrictive sustainability rules may have a negative impact on European competitiveness;

    Amendment

    30. Highlights the need to further combat misleading advertising and greenwashing and to strengthen the second-hand market and the circular economy;

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18. Amendment 18The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 34
    Current text

    34. Stresses the need to reinforce the external dimension of the single market to safeguard the EU’s strategic autonomy and global influence and welcomes the gradual integration of EU candidate countries to the single market with a view to their future EU membership; emphasises that the EU’s high regulatory standards can serve as a global benchmark and must be effectively enforced to ensure a level playing field for European businesses; calls on the Commission to intensify regulatory dialogues and political cooperation with other relevant non-EU countries in order to identify common challenges and try to build joint actions, especially concerning e-commerce, digital rules and consumers;

    Amendment

    34. Stresses the need to reinforce the external dimension of the single market to safeguard the EU’s strategic autonomy and global influence and welcomes the gradual integration of EU candidate countries to the single market with a view to their future EU membership; emphasises that the EU’s high regulatory standards can serve as a global benchmark and must be effectively enforced to ensure a level playing field for European businesses; deplores, therefore, the Commission’s decision to undo and significantly weaken the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which are meant to enforce a level playing field though the protection o…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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19. Amendment 19The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 36
    Current text

    36. Recognises that geopolitical tensions, climate change, challenges to EU competitiveness and economic disparities pose significant risks to the integrity of the single market; calls for a robust, coordinated and strategic policy response to strengthen the single market;

    Amendment

    36. Recognises that geopolitical tensions, climate change, challenges to EU competitiveness and economic disparities pose significant risks to the integrity of the single market; calls for a robust, coordinated and strategic policy response to strengthen the single market, while safeguarding consumers’ and workers’ rights and high environmental standards;

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20. Amendment 20The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 37
    Current text

    37. Calls for the continued evolution of the single market to address both remaining unjustified barriers and emerging commercial challenges; takes the view that eliminating regulatory fragmentation, promoting simplification, significantly reducing administrative burdens, enhancing enforcement and ensuring resilient supply chains are critical to maintaining the EU’s competitive edge and fair market conditions and enhancing the single market; underlines the importance of consulting all relevant stakeholders in these processes;

    Amendment

    37. Calls for the continued evolution of the single market to address both remaining unjustified barriers and emerging commercial challenges; takes the view that eliminating regulatory fragmentation, promoting simplification, significantly reducing administrative burdens, enhancing enforcement and ensuring good-quality jobs, high environmental standards and resilient supply chains are critical to maintaining the EU’s competitive edge and fair market conditions and enhancing the single market; underlines the importance of consulting all relevant stakeholders in these processes;

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21. Amendment 21The LeftMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 38
    Current text

    38. Emphasises the importance of digital transformation, the circular economy and adaptability to global economic shifts in securing the EU’s long-term economic dynamism;

    Amendment

    38. Emphasises the importance of digital transformation, the circular economy, sustainability, safe and good-quality jobs, and adaptability to global economic shifts in securing the EU’s long-term economic dynamism;

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22. Amendment 22ECRMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 2 a (new)
    Amendment

    2a. Highlights that ongoing barriers and political pressure to expand regulations have constrained the development of the single market, as noted in the Draghi report; calls for a shift towards a regulatory approach that empowers companies to grow, innovate and lead internationally, thereby restoring the single market as a true engine of growth and competitiveness;

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23. Amendment 23ECRMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 21 a (new)
    Amendment

    21a. Stresses that the implementation of the DSA must fully respect freedom of expression; underlines that actions against illegal content must not restrict lawful speech and calls for proportionate and transparent enforcement to protect an open and democratic digital space;

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24. Amendment 24ECRMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 35
    Current text

    35. Reiterates its call for innovative, complementary and flexible interaction between the ongoing work on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement currently in force and the accession negotiation process, thus allowing for Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU single market and sectoral programmes;

    Amendment

    35. Reiterates its call for innovative, complementary and flexible interaction between the ongoing work on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement currently in force and the accession negotiation process, thus allowing for Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU single market and sectoral programmes; firmly opposes, however, any further liberalisation of trade with Ukraine beyond the current framework unless and until full alignment of production standards and regulatory requirements is achieved, particularly in the agricultural sector; stresses that any easing of customs duties or safeguard measures must remain strictly conditional on Ukraine meeting the EU’s rigorous s…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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25. Amendment 25PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 15 a (new)
    Amendment

    15a. Stresses the need, in the current context of high inflation in the energy and food sectors, and as highlighted in the 2025 Consumer Conditions Scoreboard, to reduce the financial burden on consumers and businesses, particularly owing to the EU regulatory framework resulting from the European Green Deal; strongly calls for the adoption of targeted legislative measures to protect consumers and businesses against excessive energy costs and speculative manipulation;

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26. Amendment 26PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 24
    Current text

    24. Notes that evolving trends in global e-commerce and supply chain restructuring are placing greater pressure on customs controls, market surveillance and consumer protection authorities; highlights that the volume of unsafe and illicit products sold on e-commerce platforms, in particular from non-EU countries, has been increasing in recent years; highlights the significance of Digital Product Passports in these processes; calls, therefore, for a reinforced market surveillance framework and a revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation8 and calls on the Council to swiftly adopt its position in order to enable the adoption of the revised Union Customs Code and the establishme…

    Amendment

    24. Notes that evolving trends in global e-commerce and supply chain restructuring are placing greater pressure on customs controls, market surveillance and consumer protection authorities; highlights that the volume of unsafe and illicit products sold on e-commerce platforms, in particular from non-EU countries, has been increasing in recent years; highlights the significance of Digital Product Passports in these processes; urges the Commission to take legal action that would grant the Member States the discretion to impose fees on consignments in cases of heightened inflows from non-EU countries; calls, therefore, for a reinforced market surveillance framework and a revision of the Consume…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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27. Amendment 27PfEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 37 a (new)
    Amendment

    37a. Emphasises that the exercise of simplification should not be limited to the anecdotal deletion of some excessive reporting requirements; calls on the Commission to put in place a real ‘SME test’ to conduct an in-depth assessment of the impact of recent and upcoming EU legislation on competitiveness, so as to identify and eliminate any redundant, excessive or contradictory regulatory requirements further burdening businesses; urges the Commission, in this regard, to present an ‘SME omnibus’ before the end of 2025;

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