A key priority for the ECR Group is cutting much of the suffocating regulation that the EU has adopted, and ensuring this does not happen in the future. We need regulation that provides a level legal playing field for businesses and protects consumers. However, we must make sure the EU is reforming or removing legislation that stands in the way of business, in particular small and medium sized businesses, being able to make a profit, and create more jobs.
ECR MEPs have been the leading voice in the European Parliament for increasing transparency and accountability on costly over regulation since the group’s foundation in 2009. The ECR group is constantly identifying where national Governments and the EU are implementing EU rules in an unnecessarily bureaucratic and complicated way.
The ECR has led the way on common sense policy making and making sure that the EU properly implements the competitiveness test. The competitiveness test identifies any potential negative impact of EU legislation on the competitiveness of businesses and the economy when drafting and implementing EU legislation.
By ensuring, the EU is being held to account over unnecessary regulation, businesses will be better able to grow and remain competitive and profitable.
WHAT IS BETTER REGULATION?
There is a baker. That baker spends 50 percent of his time baking, he spends the other 50 percent filling out forms. These forms are often duplicates providing the same information but to different people.
Better regulation means looking at how we can reduce burdensome, repetitive and outdated regulation. By doing so, the baker would have less administration, meaning he would have more time to bake and make more profit.
More profits mean the baker could hire an apprentice. This is better regulation in action.
WHY DO WE NEED BETTER REGULATION?
In 2001 the EU passed a Directive concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers, also know as the Working at Heights Directive.
One of the main reasons the EU needs to focus more on better regulation, is to reduce the vastly differing levels of implementation, burden, and cost to business, of the same piece of legislation across the different Member States. What was a 4 page law adopted by the EU, became a 46 page law in Ireland, and an almost 759 page law in Austria.
