BMWi/Andreas Mertens

© BMWi/Andreas Mertens

Today, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier and the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Christine Lambrecht joined together via video conference to present the priorities of the German Council Presidency to the European Parliament Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Affairs and discuss them with the MEPs. Their talks focused on means of restoring and further developing the European single market, expanding digital sovereignty and strengthening consumer protection.

Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier said: “The full restoration of the single market is crucial for our economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, as well as for political cohesion in Europe. We must act now to continue to strengthen the single market and remove existing undue restrictions. Digitisation and innovation, including in climate technologies, must also be at the heart of the post-crisis economic recovery in order to strengthen sustainable growth, competitiveness, innovative strength and the resilience of the European economy in the long term.”

Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said: “Especially after the coronavirus crisis, it is important to make consumer policy sustainable, fair and forward-looking. The willingness of consumers to purchase increases when they have strong rights and feel they are being treated fairly. I will therefore pay particular attention to the interests of consumers and work hard to ensure that consumer rights are actively enforced.”

Within the European Parliament, the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection is responsible for the single market (including the digital single market), the customs union and consumer protection. It is chaired by Petra De Sutter (Greens/EFA group, Belgium). The respective Federal Ministers will present the Presidency Programme to other committees of the European Parliament in the current and coming session weeks.