EU leaders at the summit agreed a set of proposals aimed at fostering growth and promoting competitiveness.

José Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, said there was “strong support” for plans to strengthen the single market.

The move follows a letter sent on 18 March to the presidents of the European Council and Commission by nine heads of government from Baltic and Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK calling for “a new direction for Europe” to encourage growth in the face of competition from other parts of the world.

Priority measures

At the European Council, member states supported the Commission’s plan to present 12 priority measures under the Single Market Act in April. EU leaders also welcomed the Commission’s plan to exempt micro-enterprises from certain future regulations.

In addition, member states called for free-trade agreements and the Doha round of trade talks to be concluded this year, with work “rapidly taken forward”.