The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an opinion which calls for a speedy implementation of the measures proposed in the Communication on the Governance of the Single Market published by the European Commission and for swift and high-quality legislative responses to improve the overall implementation of EU rules.

The opinion on "The Single Market Act II – Together for new growth" adopted in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) plenary session calls for a more realistic approach to Single Market policies. According to the EESC, the European Commission should focus more on implementation and less on promoting the sometimes intangible benefits for citizens. In December 2012, the Commission presented a new major package of measures to improve the European regulatory framework in the internal market.

The opinion text also underlines that the Single Market must be based on transparency and accountability, on legal certainty and good governance in line with the legitimate interests of all stakeholders. The EESC also highlighted that the Single Market Acts I and II do not underscore the importance of ensuring confidence as regards the enforcement of rights.

The Committee suggests appending a social progress protocol to the European Treaties reaffirming that the Single Market is not a goal in itself, but was established in order to achieve social progress for all EU citizens. The EESC stressed that the unintended negative side-effects of the Single Market need to be urgently addressed by all institutions. Barriers created on unjustified and discriminatory grounds must be removed to enable the Single Market to function properly. In this context, proper implementation and enforcement of adopted legislation must guarantee a level playing field.