EU publication update: Single Market Act in English, French and German

Yesterday morning, the final version of communication from the European Commission on the Single Market Act (SMA) COM(2011) 206 had not yet been posted in any language.

We can now bring the glass-half-full people some good news.


English

The final English version has now been posted on the EU's legal portal Eur-Lex, under preparatory documents. Search by year and number, if needed, but here is the link:

Single Market Act Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence "Working together to create new growth”; Brussels, 13.4.2011 COM(2011) 206 final (26 pages)


French

In the same manner, we now have the final French language version:

L'Acte pour le marché unique Douze leviers pour stimuler la croissance et renforcer la confiance "Ensemble pour une nouvelle croissance”; Bruxelles, le 13.4.2011 COM(2011) 206 final


German

We now have the communication in German, one of the three working languages of the Commission, and the version is designated as final:

Binnenmarktakte Zwölf Hebel zur Förderung von Wachstum und Vertrauen „Gemeinsam für neues Wachstum”; Brüssel, den 13.4.2011 KOM(2011) 206 endgültig


Glass-half-empty

Remembering the allegiance of sixteen EU member states to the motto 'United in diversity' (Lisbon Treaty declaration 52), it is fitting to offer something to the glass-half-empty crowd as well.

Although the three working languages of the Commission are now covered, we still have to wait for the communication COM(2011) 206 in twenty official EU languages, namely Bulgarian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Finnish and Swedish.


Commission Staff Working Paper

In many cases Commission Staff Working Papers (SWP) are much lengthier than the communications. They are targeted mainly at officials and stakeholder representatives at EU level and in the national capitals, as well as researchers, teachers and students.

While the communications (the official proposals and main findings) are usually translated into 23 or 22 languages, i.a. in order to enable the national administrations and parliaments to deal with them, the SWPs are usually published in only one to three languages, often only in English.

Thus, I only checked to see that no French or German version was available, at least right now, before establishing that the accompanying SEC(2011) 467 has now been posted in English on Eur-Lex. Exceptionally, I'll give you the full name:

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Overview of responses to the public consultation on the Communication ‘Towards a Single Market Act’ Accompanying document to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Single Market Act Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence "Working together to create new growth"; Brussels, 13.4.2011 SEC(2011) 467 final (32 pages)

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In other words, we now have the SMA communication in English, French and German final versions, as well as the consultation summary SWP in English.



Ralf Grahn


P.S. On the Polscieu blog, Ronny Patz dissected the Brussels jungle in a sharp and entertaining post 'The Advanced User Polity or: Why the EU is like a primeval forest'. The blog platform Ideas on Europe is administered by UACES (the University Association for Contemporary European Studies). On Ideas on Europe you can find other interesting Euroblogs as well, written by academics, researchers and advanced students. (Why not start a blog there, if you fit the bill?)