Providing choice and value to households

The opening of borders in 1993 enabled a leap forward in the choice of innovative products available across the EU, as the internal market framework ensured legal certainty and fundamental freedoms to operate in the best interest of Europe’s consumers.

Local traditions and cultural elements, taste preferences and social habits were not neglected, and continue to be very specific determining factors for local and regional market conditions within the Single Market.

The Single Market has had a significant impact for consumers, providing choice and value to households. For consumer goods manufacturers, it has enabled us to trade EUR 276 billion of products within the EU. That’s 61% of what is manufactured, with the other 39% being exported as our brands are cherished by consumers around the world. We structure operations to deliver the best possible value for all stakeholders in the value chain, whilst remaining conscious of our legal obligations. Specific consumer information on ingredients or dosage to comply with existing local laws plays a role, as do differences in regulatory obligations at national level on packaging, recycling, and labelling requirements.

One of the most frequently asked questions about the EU Single Market is why prices are not the same in every market. This is due to a myriad of factors, whether due to different local laws, different taxes, different costs of doing business such as logistics, transport, wages, but also different market strategies adopted by our partners in the value chain, retailers, and wholesalers. They decide the final consumer price, considering different conditions and parameters of the market.

There are some retail partners who say that manufacturers fragment the single market by refusing to supply goods to them from other countries. We value our retail partners, who provide direct access to consumers through their stores and shelves, so not selling to them is counterproductive for all of us in the value chain, consumers, partners, suppliers – and us.

In this section, you will find the reports, resources, and many reasons why there are differences across the markets.