TRIBUNE 22 NOVEMBER 2012 THE SINGLE MARKET 20 YEARS ON THE SINGLE MARKET, CORNERSTONE OF THE EU Jacques Delors | Founding President of Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute TJ acques Delors underlines that the single market is the cornerstone of European construction, while remin- ding that in history, economic projects have often taken priority over more political projects. According to him, consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union requires a large political and institutional reform. These are the two key messages of this Tribune based on his speech at a conference recently organised in Paris by the European Commission and the French Ministry for Economic Regeneration, in partnership with Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the single market. Deputy Chairman, Madam chair of the European take a step that is both a political and an institutional Commission Representation in France, we were sup- leap. I would then like to talk about the single market posed to be listening to two illustrious players on as the cornerstone of the broader Europe, currently today’s European scene. I am sorry that Minister 27-strong and set to become 28-strong in the future. Arnaud Montebourg was unable to attend, I would I would also like to take this opportunity to show that have been interested to hear his position on Europe, the missing link in the construction of Europe is coop- but unfortunately he has been detained by an urgent eration. And finally, I will be illustrating that fact by priority matter, an intergovernmental seminar on com- talking about the consolidation of the Economic and petitiveness. I trust you will allow a very senior citizen Monetary Union, which can only occur with an explicit to reintroduce the past into the debate here today, not reform of the political and institutional aspects. as a matter of nostalgia in any way, but in an attempt to learn a few lessons from it and to gain a better understanding of the dynamic and of the difficulties in 1. The primacy of the economic aspect European construction, which has never been a long, over the political and institutional aspects calmly flowing river. I was telling you that the primacy of the economic We European militants may be critical, demanding aspect has been reaffirmed on two separate occasions. and impatient, but that must not prevent us from first From 1946 to 1957, Europe’s promoters envisaged a displaying a dose of optimism which, thanks to Michel political Europe, even proposing a European Defence Barnier, is represented by the deepening of the inter- Community, but unity over that project proved impos- nal market to which I shall shortly return. The reg- sible. The Benelux countries, for their part, devised a ulatory measures are going to change the course of blueprint for a political Europe involving a major trans- events in Europe and they are going to restore both to fer of sovereignty and with a kind of European govern- the consumer and to the producer the hope and con- ment in given areas. But that plan was not accepted viction that it is only at the European level that we either. So then they resolved to ask this question: “How can cope with the global challenge. We must remain about setting up a common market?” At the time that optimistic whatever the difficulties of the situation. was no simple matter. Each country was entrenched Michel Barnier told us that we have come up against in the defence of its own interests. There was major a succession of unparalleled crises, and he is right. debate over farming, over territories overseas and As far as this return to the past is concerned, I would so on. So why did they resolve to adopt the Common like to illustrate it with an observation: the primacy Market as formulated by the Spaak Committee? Well, of the economic aspect over the political and institu- they eventually did so because there was a “Cleopatra’s tional aspects has been reaffirmed on two separate nose”, a seemingly irrelevant yet epoch-making event: occasions, at strategic moments in the construction namely, the failure of the Franco-British expedition of Europe. I know full well that the economy is also a to Suez. That was the day on which the French for- matter of politics. But you will see from a few exam- eign minister said: “the game is over, we have to build ples just how difficult it has been for the Europeans to Europe”. Purely political projects had not worked, but 1 / 4 The Single Market, Cornerstone OF the EU the economy made it possible to launch the European “Competition, cooperation, solidarity”: it was nec- construction process. The trouble with the economy is essary to implement this triptych through the policy that it is very distant from the man in the street. It for cohesion which Michel Barnier was discussing just does not speak to him with the same immediacy as a now and which accounted for over one-third of the political or as an institutional reform. Community budget, and through a form of social dia- logue which was very much alive between 1985 and Now, let us get back to the period stretching from 1994. The following results were achieved between 1984 to 1987. After the years of stagnation between 1986 and 1992: an additional 0.5 percent growth; 1980 and 1984, the disputes within the European 11 million new jobs created; a one-third increase in family were resolved at the European Council meet- investments; and the development, both internally ing in Fontainebleau under the presidency of François and externally, of mergers and acquisitions, thus a Mitterrand. The crisis suggested that it would be a strengthening of competitiveness. These efforts were good idea to impart a fresh boost to the construction of pursued, even if they were interrupted by the famous Europe, and as the new president of the Commission, currency exchange rate crisis in 1992 and 1993. I had toured the capitals to submit three projects: a common currency, or common defence, or simply an The single market, whose benefits and repercus- institutional reform making it possible to extend the sions on competitiveness the Commission is now seek- qualified majority voting method. There were ten ing to explore in greater depth, has been frozen in that member states at the time and there was no unanimity situation since then. But it remains the cornerstone over these projects, as there had been in 1946. Thus I of the broad 27-strong, then 28-strong, Europe. This, resolved to ask them: “Why do we not set up a genuine because in addition to its benefits – freedom of move- single market? Remember that over the past five years ment for people, goods, services and capital – the sin- you have lost 1.5 million jobs between the ten of you, gle market also increases the interdependence among and you have a very weak growth rate”. The plan con- national economies and fuels the feeling that we need vinced them, especially since the mood, the general “to act together”. That is especially important today climate at the time, was favourable. when, in each of our countries’ grass-roots opinions, the globalisation process is frightening people and So the plan was accepted and it spawned a new populism is gaining ground, urging countries to turn treaty with an institutional improvement, namely an in on themselves. That is why elected governments extension of qualified majority voting to everything have a tendency to assign priority to purely national concerning the single market. We should not forget interests, forgetting the benefits of shared sover- that the previous Commission, the Thorn Commission, eignty. This interdependence in the market is a kind had submitted about fifteen very interesting plans to of plinth, a base which, even if the climate were to deepen the single market, yet none of them were ever deteriorate in the future, would still make it possible adopted on account of the unanimity rule. to keep the construction of Europe alive. The impact of the single market was slightly less spectacular in the years thereafter. Over the period stretching from 2. The single market, the cornerstone 1992 to 2008, GDP rose by 2.13% and jobs grew by of European construction 2.7% in the broader Europe. The White Paper submit- ted by the Commission in 1993 is therefore still very Thus the Single Act was the logical consequence, topical: it was based on a diagnosis which is unfortu- combining the implementation of the single market nately still accurate and which proves that Europe has and of the policies designed to accompany that single not pressed down sufficiently on the accelerator. The market. It was based on a triptych, and indeed that is European Union was there for the challenge of the glo- what lies at the heart of my address: competition that balisation process and of the emerging countries, of stimulates, cooperation that strengthens, and solidar- an ageing population (although that does not apply to ity that unites. But my whole analysis is based on one France) and of the information technology revolution crucial point, namely the missing link, which is cooper- and other technological changes. ation. That can of course be remedied through a total transfer of sovereignty to the European level, but such As long ago as 1993 the White Paper proposed a a prospect is neither possible nor entertained by the vast infrastructure plan and the issue of euro bonds, member states. because spending for the future was to be funded by 2 / 4 The Single Market, Cornerstone OF the EU borrowing and by the state.