Text tabled : A7-0153/2012

  Viktor Uspaskich (ALDE), in writing. – (LT) Less than five years ago, Lithuania found itself at the European Commission’s table where there was a discussion about how successfully Member States are transposing the EU’s internal market legislation into national law. The situation today is completely different. The latest figures published by the Commission this month revealed that Lithuania is having particular difficulties implementing single market legislation. As the rapporteur points out, the internal market is the best tool we have to restore Europe’s economic growth. According to the Commission’s latest calculations, full exploitation of the internal market may create approximately 4% growth in terms of GDP over the next ten years. In order to better exploit the opportunities of the single market, to promote growth and create jobs, we need a free and well integrated market, unhindered rights to provide services and less of an administrative burden on business. The meeting on issues affecting the EU internal market held a few weeks ago in Vilnius was a reminder that a digital single market is another area with significant untapped economic potential for Lithuania. Lithuanian consumers are often unable to take advantage of all the benefits of the EU internal market, for example, consumers from Lithuania are unable to acquire goods on the Internet from another Member State because the latter does not sell goods to Lithuania.