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AEnrico Letta’s report on the future of the EU Single Market proposes the addition of a “fifth freedom” to the existing four freedoms (free movement of goods, services, capital, and people) of the Single Market.
Specifically, the report calls for a fifth freedom to be enshrined in the Treaty encompassing several fields including research, innovation,, data, competences, knowledge and education”. The report emphasizes the urgency of supporting European businesses to compete globally and advocates for streamlined regulations and consistent enforcement. It also highlights the knowledge and data economy and the required infrastructures, skills and mobility. The fifth freedom is intended to lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and efficient financing framework, and to support the EU’s competitiveness on the global stage. It aims to create “European Knowledge Commons”, a centralised, digital platform providing access to publicly funded research, data sets and educational resources.