Following the publication of the European Commission’s new Single Market Strategy in May 2025, this CEPS Explainer sees at the finer details to answer one of the eternal EU questions: will this be the strategy that finally empowers the single market to reach its full potential?
Admittedly, one could see at this latest strategy – coming off the back of 2024’s Letta and Draghi reports, as well as 2025’s Competitiveness Compass and Omnibus proposal – in two ways: as either extremely ambitious and living up to the demands of businesses and some Member States… or a giant set of soundbites that often lack depth, detail or credibility.
Fortunately, this Explainer is cautiously positive – but once again, the new strategy’s ultimate success will depfinish on the one thing that has felled so many previous initiatives: the political will of European leaders to prioritise the single market, confront the many vested interests and put an finish to fragmentation once and for all.
About the Author
Jacques Pelkmans is an Associate Senior Fellow at CEPS.
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