6 Simplification of Community legislation
| (28354)
5924/07
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(07) 23
| Commission Communication: Action Programme for reducing administration burdens in the European Union
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 24 January 2007
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| Deposited in Parliament | 8 February 2007
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| Department | Cabinet Office
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 20 February 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None, but see footnotes 22 and 23
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| Discussed in Council | March 2007
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
6.1 The first initiative to simplify Community legislation was
launched in 1997, and the Commission has since issued a regular
series of Communications addressing this issue, notably one in
March 2005,[22] which
focused on improving and extending the use of impact assessments
for new proposals, screening pending legislative proposals, and
introducing new ways of simplifying existing legislation.
6.2 This was followed in November 2006 by a further
Communication,[23] which
reviewed ways of reducing administrative burdens arising from
compliance with Community legislation, particularly as regards
reporting requirements. It said that a common methodology had
been developed for assessing administrative costs, which the Commission
had applied in its own impact assessments for new legislation,
and that the priority now was to reduce the burden imposed by
existing legislation. The Commission was therefore working with
Member States to develop a way of measuring those burdens, and
had summarised developments so far in an accompanying working
document. It went on to point out that some Member States had
already concluded that a 25% reduction in the administrative burden
was feasible, and it said that it would shortly be presenting
an Action Plan setting out a coordinated longer term approach
for joint Community and Member State measurement and reduction
targets.
The current documents
6.3 It has now done so in this latest Communication,
which addresses the ways in which the administrative burdens can
be identified, measured and reduced by 25% by 2012 — an
objective which it suggests could in the medium term lead to an
increase of about 1.4% in the Community GDP, equivalent to €150
billion. The Commission also points out that this is a shared
objective which can only be achieved by the Member States and
the European institutions acting jointly, and that the aim is
not deregulation as such, but rather to streamline the ways in
which policy objectives are implemented, without compromising
the underlying aims.
6.4 In essence, it is proposed that the Commission
(with the help of Member States) should measure (using the EU
Standard Cost Model) the administration burdens relating to Community
legislation and transposition, and draw up appropriate reduction
proposals, whilst the Member States should proceed in a similar
fashion as regards purely national legislation. The aim will be
to provide by November 2008 as assessment which will lead to the
planned reduction in the administrative burden by 2012, and the
Commission identifies measures in 13 priority areas which, on
the basis of data from a number of Member States (including the
UK), it says cover the "vast bulk" of administrative
burdens originating from Community law. The areas in question
are: company law, pharmaceutical legislation, working environment/employment
relations, tax law (VAT), statistics, agriculture and agricultural
subsidies, food safety, transport, fisheries, financial services,
environment, cohesion policy, and public procurement — though
the Commission adds that, if further work should indicate a need
to include additional areas, these will be added to the list.
The Commission also proposes that the measurement exercise should
be carried out by a contractor, in collaboration with it and the
Member States, and a High Level Group of National Regulatory Experts
has been asked to appoint a single contact in Member States' governments.
6.5 Because of its size and complexity, the measurement
exercise will take some time, but, in view of its commitment to
reduce these administrative burdens quickly, the Commission has
proposed 10 fast-track items — relating to company law,
agriculture, statistics, transport and food hygiene — which
could reduce those burdens by about €1.3 billion, and it
has asked that special priority should be given to these.
6.6 The Communication concludes by asking the spring
European Council to endorse the Action Programme, together with
its target of a 25% overall reduction by 2012 in the administrative
burdens caused by Community and national legislation. It also
invites Member States to support the Commission in measuring the
burdens associated with Community legislation and its transposition,
to set by October 2008 targets for reducing the administrative
burden at national level, and to report on the measurement and
reduction of administrative burdens annually, starting in October
2007.
The Government's view
6.7 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 20 February
2007, the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr Pat McFadden) says
that the Action Programme raises some subsidiarity issues, in
that it asks Member States to set targets for reducing the administrative
burdens stemming from national legislation, and that the proposed
Community targets would cover Member States' legislation which
transposes Community obligations. However, he adds that, as the
Plan would not impose any burdens additional to those which the
UK has set itself, these issues are not in practice of great concern,
and that the Government supports the aim of reducing administrative
burdens in the Community by 2012, which it regards as an important
means of achieving its own goals.
Conclusion
6.8 In common with the earlier Communications
which we have considered, these documents seek to take forward
the welcome aim of simplifying Community legislation. As such,
they are of obvious interest, and, although we do not think they
give rise to any issues requiring further consideration, we think
it right, in clearing them, to draw them to the attention of the
House.
22 Better Regulation for Growth and Jobs
(26448) COM(05) 97: see HC 38-xv (2004-05), para 9 (6 April 2005).
Back
23
A strategic review of better regulation in the European Union
(28073) 15510/06: see HC 41-v (2006-07), para 6 (10 January 2007). Back
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