The European Commission is committed to the single market. What better place to try and "buy" a car from another EU state than the European Consumer Centre, on O'Connell Street, Dublin, which is part-funded by the Commission?
The mission: to price a small, medium and large car in other EU states. Expertise provided by Ms Mary Denise Fitzgerald, press officer with the ECC.
The means: the Internet and phone. The EU Commission's Europa website carries a list of "European consumer hot lines". Consumers can telephone these numbers for quotations. Or so the theory goes.
Ms Fitzgerald's verdict: "I found it very difficult. You wouldn't buy a car in a day. You'd have to spend a few days. You'd need lots of money (for phone bills) and lots of free time.
"The list wasn't good in terms of correct numbers. Some people didn't even realise they were on the list. Other numbers didn't ring out. There were huge obstacles with language. It was very difficult just to get a basic price. It was even more difficult to find out about right-hand drive.
"There's a huge gap between the aspirational single market and the real single market. An effort is being made with the hot line listings but it's not enough."
ECC manager Ms Tina Leonard said "consumers have a huge voice. They should have the opportunity to exercise their right to purchase in another member-state. If it's too difficult to do this, consumers need to express their concerns to TDs and MEPs".
In the UK, runs a website, www.carbusters.com, that provides quotations for cars sourced from Europe.