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European Parliament

EFIC position on the Single Market Strategy 2025

The European Furniture Industries Confederation (EFIC) welcomes the opportunity to provide comments to the ongoing public consultation on the Single Market Strategy for 2025. We are a creative, versatile and dynamic sector, composed mainly by SMEs and microenterprises. Our industry is part of a complex value chain, with a broad range of designs, products and materials.

 

We welcomed the two reports published last year by Mr Enrico Letta and Mr Mario Draghi presenting their vision for defending, strengthening and unlocking the full potential of the single market and increased competitiveness of the EU. As highlighted by the reports, fragmentation among EU Member States in industrial policies, financing instruments and regulatory burdens impedes the EU’s collective effectiveness. In addition, the EU's complex decision-making processes and disjointed efforts between national and EU level policies limit the ability to respond effectively to global challenges. We believe that harmonised rules are crucial at EU level to avoid the fragmentation of the Single Market and administrative burden, in particular on SMEs. The EU’s prosperity is based on an internally competitive, well-functioning and resilient Single Market.

 

Thus, a single market approach is essential to make Europe a competitive place for growth and investments. Considering key upcoming legislation such as the delegated act for furniture under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), harmonisation of rules at EU level is ever more crucial for our industry.

 

Our recommendations can be summarized in the following chapters, detailed in our position paper:

 

1. Ensure harmonisation of EU legislation for a functioning single market, with standardisation as its backbone, as well as increased mutual recognition

 

2. Reduce administrative burden, avoiding duplication of efforts and reporting, ensure uniform implementation of existing legislation on the ground and ensure feasible implementation of future legislation before it is adopted

 

3. Ensure a level-playing field and increased market surveillance for a functioning Single Market

 

4. Ensure harmonised circular economy rules and definitions at EU level

 

5. Ensure access to a skilled workforce via cross-border cooperation in the Single Market

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