European Commissioner for interior market and industry Elzbieta Bienkowska | AFP/Getty EU pushes for business without borders Single market strategy aims to make business rules simpler across the bloc

The European Commission will seek once again to equalize access and prices of products and services around the 28-country bloc, and will foster startups and boost the sharing economy, according to the internal market strategy released Wednesday.

The Commission's previous attempts to encourage businesses to sell across borders and end price differences around the EU have been less than successful. Now it will pursue legislative action to prevent discrimination against consumers based on country of residence. Other proposals include harmonizing value added taxes, making bankruptcy less onerous and helping startups expand across borders. They will be launched from next year through to 2018.

“If we are to restore citizens’ trust in the European project, create jobs and build a competitive economy, and retain an influence in the world, we must unleash the full potential of the single market,” said Elżbieta Bieńkowska, commissioner for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises. “Europe has no time to waste to respond to its competitiveness challenges.”

EU countries have a mixed record when it comes to startups that disrupt industries, like ride-hailer Uber and home-sharer Airbnb.

Yet the Commission is throwing its weight behind the so-called collaborative economy. As part of the strategy, it will develop an agenda for the sector and aims to simplify rules that hinder the growth of startups.

“The single market must keep up with the times,” said Jyrki Katainen, Commission vice president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness. “Innovative business models must be encouraged and welcomed into the single market.”

Early reactions to the strategy have been mixed. German engineering lobbyists VDMA are upset because "the Commission’s proposal largely ignores digitization in industry and therefore misses the opportunity to create the foundation for a single market appropriate to the age of Industry 4.0 in Europe."

According to the VDMA, the Commission should have reviewed whether the legal requirements governing product safety have been superseded by new technologies.

But BusinessEurope, a pro-business lobby group, said in a statement the strategy is a step in the right direction. "The single market strategy rightly focuses on better application and stronger enforcement of EU legislation on the ground,” said Markus J. Beyrer, the group's head.

Antanas Guoga a Liberal, Lithuanian member of the European Parliament and shadow rapporteur for the single market strategy, was mostly pleased with the Commission's initiatives, but said more could have been done.

"The proposals launched by the European Commission today should be broadly welcomed, in particular the intention to tackle discrimination by companies based on nationality and recognition that the EU needs to change its attitude to business failure," he said. "Business failure in the U.S. is seen as perfectly normal, whereas in Europe it is often treated too harshly. But I also believe the Commission could have been much more ambitious."