Following the publication of the European Commission’s new Single Market Strategy in May 2025, this CEPS Explainer looks 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 look 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 depend 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 end to fragmentation once and for all.
