From IMMI

The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labor within the EU's 27 member states.These are commonly referred to as the four freedoms of the European Union. The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger economies of scale, allows goods and factors of production to move to the area where they are most valued, thus improving the efficiency of the allocation of resources. It is also intended to drive economic integration whereby the once separate economies of the member states become integrated within a single EU wide economy. Already, half the trade in the EU is covered by legislation harmonised by the EU.

As the information economy plays an increasingly important role in commerce and civil society, it becomes increasingly important to the cohesion and functioning of the internal market that information rights be guaranteed both within the EU and outside the EU to as great a degree as is possible.

Free movement of goods, services, labor and capital are effectively useless endevours without the processing and distribution of information about where these are required and how they are valued. It is therefore natural that free movement of information itself be defined as a fifth freedom and established as one of the pillars of the European Union.

Treaty status

Scattered variously through Maastricht, Amsterdam, Lisbon, etc. Needs to be explored.

Supporting Directives, Declarations, etc

• Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, on Measures to Promote the Public Service Value of the Internet
• Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)6 on Measures to Promote the Respect for Freedom of Expression and Information with regard to Internet Filters
• Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Declaration on Freedom of Communication on the Internet
• European Union's E-commerce directive (2000/31/EC)