free movement of goods

free movement of goods

in the law of the EUROPEAN UNION, one body of rules designed to assist in the establishment of a COMMON MARKET. For a market to operate efficiently, there must be no barriers to the movement of goods. The legal system of the EU seeks to achieve this in two ways:
  1. (1) the establishment of a customs union;
  2. (2) the elimination of quantitative restrictions and measures, having equivalent effect, that are sometimes called technical barriers. See also GOODS.