Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Product market reform and strengthened domestic demand

The ECOFIN Council, in its conclusions from 27 January 2017, while sharing the European Commission’s analysis of the economic situation and policy challenges in the EU, stressed that:
– too little emphasis is placed on the need for product market reform in the 2017 Annual Growth Survey;
– product market reforms should be prioritised because of their more direct boost to productivity and output regardless of economic conditions.

In its 2016 Autumn Economic forecast, the Commission underlines that the “recently observed increase in protectionism and, more generally, growing scepticism about further internationalisation of economic activity, often coined as the ‘new backlash against globalisation’ could put the European fragile economic growth at risk”. Against this background, the domestic demand should become the focus of the European policies and, therefore, the full potential of the Single Market should be exploited.

In this regard:
– What are the Commission’s future plans regarding the product market reform?
– How does the Commission intend to tackle national and cross border barriers in order to strengthen domestic demand?
– Based on its assessment, does the Commission believe that product market reform would have more positive effect compared to a positive fiscal stance?

E-000587/2017
Answer given by Mr Moscovici on behalf of the Commission
(2.5.2017)

1. In the Annual Growth Survey 2017, the Commission reiterated its policy strategy based on boosting investment, pursuing structural reforms and sound budgetary policies and called on Member States to redouble their efforts by pursuing structural reforms. At EU level, the Commission has launched initiatives regarding the development of a Capital Market Union, the further deepening of the Single Market for goods and services, and a true Digital Single Market. Other initiatives have also been adopted in the context of the Energy Union, and the Circular Economy package.

2. To unlock the full potential of the Single Market, the Commission proposed, a set of initiatives in “the Services Package”, in the context of the Single Market Strategy. The adoption of the ‘Goods Package’ is scheduled for June 2017. At Member State level, the priority reforms reflected in the 2016 Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) were further analysed in the 2017 Country Reports as well as the progress made so far in addressing them. Further emphasis is put on structural reforms that contribute to a better business environment, foster innovation and increase dynamism in product and services markets.

3. Member States need to act on structural reforms, investment and public finance at the same time to accelerate growth. They should correct excessive public debt burdens, given future challenges in terms of pension, health care and long term care liabilities. In this context, against the backdrop of a resilient but modest economic recovery, the Commission is calling for a moderately expansionary fiscal stance for the euro area as a whole, without prejudice to long run debt sustainability. At the same time it is important that structural reforms tackle obstacles to the fundamental drivers of growth [1].

[1] Labour, product and service markets.

Maltese Version
E-000587/2017
Suġġett: Riforma fis-suq tal-prodotti u domanda domestika msaħħa
Fil-konklużjonijiet tiegħu tas-27 ta’ Jannar 2017, il-Kunsill ECOFIN, filwaqt li kkondivida l-analiżi tal-Kummissjoni tas-sitwazzjoni ekonomika u l-isfidi ta’ politika li qed tiffaċċja l-UE, saħaq li:
– ftit li xejn tpoġġiet enfasi fuq il-ħtieġa ta’ riforma fis-suq tal-prodotti fl-Istħarriġ Annwali dwar it-Tkabbir 2017;
– ir-riformi fis-suq tal-prodotti għandhom ikunu prijoritizzati minħabba li jagħtu spinta aktar diretta lill-produttività u lill-output irrispettivament mill-kundizzjonijiet ekonomiċi.
Fit-Tbassir Ekonomiku tagħha tal-Ħarifa 2016, il-Kummissjoni enfasizzat li “ż-żieda osservata reċentament f’dak li jikkonċerna l-protezzjoniżmu u, b’mod aktar ġenerali, ix-xettiċiżmu dejjem jikber dwar aktar internazzjonalizzazzjoni tal-attività ekonomika, ħafna drabi magħrufa bħala “r-reazzjoni l-ġdida kontra l-globalizzazzjoni” tista’ tpoġġi lit-tkabbir ekonomiku fraġli Ewropew f’riskju”. F’dan l-isfond, id-domanda domestika għandha ssir l-enfasi tal-politiki Ewropej u l-potenzjal sħiħ tas-Suq Uniku għandu jiġi sfruttat kif xieraq.
F’dan il-kuntest:
1. X’inhuma l-pjanijiet futuri tal-Kummissjoni rigward ir-riforma fis-suq tal-prodotti?
2. Il-Kummissjoni kif biħsiebha tindirizza l-ostakli nazzjonali u transkonfinali sabiex issaħħaħ id-domanda domestika?
3. Il-Kummissjoni temmen, fuq il-bażi tal-valutazzjoni tagħha, li r-riforma fis-suq tal-prodotti jkollha effett benefiku akbar minn pożizzjoni fiskali pożittiva?

MT
E-000587/2017
Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sur Moscovici f’isem il-Kummissjoni
(2.5.2017)

1. Fl-istħarriġ Annwali dwar it-Tkabbir tal-2017, il-Kummissjoni tenniet l-istrateġija politika tagħha bbażata fuq l-ispinta lill-investiment, it-tkomplija tar-riformi strutturali u politika baġitarja soda u appellat lill-Istati Membri biex jirduppjaw l-isforzi tagħhom billi jsegwu r-riformi strutturali. Fil-livell tal-UE, il-Kummissjoni nediet inizjattivi rigward l-iżvilupp ta’ Unjoni tas-Swieq Kapitali, l-approfondiment ulterjuri tas-Suq Uniku għall-prodotti u s-servizzi, u Suq Diġitali Uniku ta’ veru. Inizjattivi oħra ġew ukoll adottati fil-kuntest tal-Unjoni tal-Enerġija u l-pakkett dwar l-Ekonomija Ċirkolari.

2. Biex jiġi sfruttat il-potenzjal sħiħ tas-Suq Uniku, il-Kummissjoni pproponiet sensiela ta’ inizjattivi fil-“Pakkett għas-Servizzi”, fil-kuntest tal-Istrateġija tas-Suq Uniku. L-adozzjoni tal-“Pakkett tal-Prodotti” hija skedata għal Ġunju 2017. Fil-livell tal-Istati Membri, ir-riformi ta’ prijorità riflessi fir-Rakkomandazzjonijiet Speċifiċi għall-Pajjiż tal-2016 (Country Specific Recommendations, CSRs) kienu analizzati ulterjorment fir-Rapporti tal-Pajjiżi tal-2017 kif ukoll il-progress li sar sa issa fit-trattament tagħhom. Qed titpoġġa enfasi ulterjuri fuq ir-riformi strutturali li jikkontribwixxu għal ambjent tan-negozju aħjar, biex titrawwem l-innovazzjoni u jiżdied id-dinamiżmu fis-swieq tal-prodotti u s-servizzi.

3. L-Istati Membri jeħtiġilhom jaġixxu fuq ir-riformi strutturali, l-investiment u l-finanzi pubbliċi fl-istess ħin sabiex jiġi aċċellerat it-tkabbir. Huma għandhom jikkoreġu l-piżijiet ta’ dejn pubbliku eċċessiv, minħabba l-isfidi tal-ġejjieni fir-rigward tal-pensjonijiet, tal-kura tas-saħħa u obbligazzjonijiet tal-kura fuq terminu twil ta’ żmien. F’dan il-kuntest, fl-isfond ta’ rkupru ekonomiku modest iżda reżiljenti, il-Kummissjoni qed titlob għal espansjoni moderata l-pożizzjoni fiskali għaż-Żona tal-Euro kollha kemm hi, mingħajr preġudizzju tas-sostenibbiltà tad-dejn fuq medda twila ta’ żmien. Fl-istess ħin huwa importanti li r-riformi strutturali jindirizzaw l-ostakli għall-muturi fundamentali tat-tkabbir ekonomiku [2].

[2] Is-swieq tax-xogħol, tal-prodotti u tas-servizzi.

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