欧盟单一市场在商品领域仍存在大量“看不见的壁垒”，累积效应相当于对企业施加 44% 的隐含关税（IMF 估算）。Ikea 的 12 厘米玩具大象需挂上 20 厘米长标签，原因是多国尤其法国的本地环保标识要求；Ikea 每年为法国“Triman”标识印制 28 亿件商品，但其中仅 16% 实际在法国销售，2020 年强制标识带来“数千个工作日”的额外成本。欧盟议会估计，若降低监管碎片化、改善内部贸易流动，可带来 2,280 亿至 3,720 亿欧元/年 的增长潜力。大量企业（Ikea、H&M、AkzoNobel 等）因国家间冲突性规则被迫加贴多语标签、维持多套库存、甚至停止销售个别商品，显示监管不一致造成体系性摩擦。

成员国强行施加的本地规定（如法国禁止某标识、西班牙要求该标识）使企业必须同时满足相互矛盾的要求。AkzoNobel 的油漆因法国、西班牙、意大利各自的废弃物标志与 VOC 排放标准不同，不得不同国分库存。食品公司 Sevan 为使炸豆丸子在丹麦合法，不得不改配方；瑞典滑雪杖制造商 Kang 花费数小时注册德国回收体系，只为缴纳 20 欧元/年 的费用，并需重复应对多国类似要求。虽多属技术细节，但分布在 27 国的碎片化法规导致企业在行政、测试、合规与供应链灵活性上承受累积高成本，并削弱欧洲企业与美国、中国内部大市场竞争时的规模效率。

尽管欧盟正尝试统一部分规则（如电梯安全标准、废弃物指示），企业普遍认为进展缓慢，且关键领域缺乏单一标准（如欧洲统一回收标志）。企业领袖与行业组织警告，单一市场的优势正被成员国监管过度分化所侵蚀，使欧洲竞争力自我受损。执行与协调不力让单一市场这一欧盟最成功的成就反而成为“自我造成的伤口”，但若能完成这些细微但关键的协调工作，将带来可观增长。

The EU single market for goods remains hampered by numerous small regulatory barriers whose cumulative effect is economically large: the IMF estimates they impose a burden equivalent to a 44% tariff. Ikea’s 12-cm Djungelskog elephant requires a 20-cm label due to diverse national rules, especially France’s environmental requirements; Ikea prints 2.8 billion products with the French Triman logo even though only 16% are sold in France. The 2020 Triman mandate alone required “thousands of additional working days.” EU Parliament analysis suggests reducing regulatory fragmentation could generate €228–€372 billion per year in economic gains. Companies across sectors (Ikea, H&M, AkzoNobel) face multi-language labels, conflicting national mandates, separate inventories, and even product bans—revealing systemic frictions embedded in technical compliance.

National rules frequently contradict each other: France once sought to ban a recycling mark Spain required. AkzoNobel must carry France’s Triman, Spain’s Punto Verde, and Italy’s codes; limited space forces separate stocks. Divergent VOC standards in Germany, Belgium, and France require different testing and approvals. Swedish food maker Sevan had to alter its falafel formula because baking powder acceptable in Sweden is disallowed in Denmark for that food category. Kang, a Swedish ski-pole maker, spent hours registering in Germany to pay €20/year, then had to repeat the effort in multiple countries. These micro-level inconsistencies inflate administrative burdens, reduce supply-chain flexibility, and weaken Europe’s scale advantage relative to the US and China.

Although the EU is beginning to harmonize some areas (e.g., lift standards, waste guidance), progress is slow, and companies stress the need for a single European recycling symbol and uniform enforcement. Executives warn that fragmented regulation undermines the EU’s most successful integration project, making Europe’s competitiveness a “self-inflicted injury.” Yet completing these technically small but economically significant harmonization steps could unlock substantial growth and restore the single market’s intended efficiency.