Emma McClarkin (ECR). - Mr President, as the ECR shadow on the Bastos report, I was keen to stress the need for concrete action to solve citizens’ problems, which include the recognition of professional qualifications, obtaining health care abroad, opening a bank account in another Member State and enhanced comparability of financial services on offer to consumers.

Citizens need to see tangible benefits from the single market. The amendments I tabled on this report covered the promotion of the Internal Market Information (IMI) system in the recognition of professional qualifications, enhancing the employability of young people and the need to prevent over-regulation. I was particularly happy that my amendments calling for the SME test to be applied consistently across all policy areas, and for a review of all regulations which negatively impact on SMEs, were adopted.

In this regard I look forward to the report we have requested from the Commission, with recommendations, on legislation which hampers SMEs, and that is due by June 2013. As we debate the Single Market Act, having just celebrated Single Market Week, I want to mention a significant figure I came across this week: between 2002 and 2011, 13 million jobs were created by the EU’s 21 million SMEs. They are our drivers for growth, and that statistic demonstrates yet again why we must avoid placing burdens on SMEs at a time when we need job creation.

We have a responsibility to address the 20 main concerns in relation to the single market, and this is a good start. But we must be mindful, during these difficult times, that the European Union was created for free trade, and we must keep this spirit of free trade and not succumb to protectionism. A properly-functioning barrier-free single market is what we need and what we must deliver.