SMART REGULATION FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS IS CALLED FOR

Regulatory reform is unquestionably of great importance, nowher more so than at EU level given the inherent complexity of a Union of 28 member states. If the process of developing policy, particularly legislation, is sub-standard, then inevitably so will be the outcome. The EU must lead by example in ensuring that policy is fit for purpose and the member states must also recognise their responsibility and role in the process.

For the next five year EU legislative term, the European Commission, Parliament, Council and member states should commit to pursue the objective of SMART REGULATION with renewed vigour, focussing on minimising the overall regulatory burden and achieving an evidence-based approach to policy making. The aim must be a clear, proportionate, stable and effective regulatory framework that delivers policy objectives efficiently and without imposing exessive or unnecssary burdens on businesses and citizens.

PRIORITIES

1. Commit to the rigorous application of the 'THINK SMALL' principle, giving full considerration to SMEs, whether micro, small or medium and ensuring in particular a consistent, transparent and efficient application of the SME test.µ
2. Ensure high quality impact assessment for all legislative initiatives by focussing on quantification (and monetisation whenever possible) of the effects, measurement of cumulative regulatory burden costs and systematic conisderation of alternatives to regulation, including the option to withdraw a proposal.
3. Publish all draft impact assessments and consult on their findings to ensure that they are of high quality and to facilitate the provision of missing data or the correction of inaccurate data.
4. Ensure the routine consideration of impact assessments by the Council and the European Parliament and implement far more consistently these institutions' commitment to carry out additional impact assessments on substantive amendments to Commission proposals.
5. Review the composition and working practices of the Impact Assessment Board in order to ensure its independence and transparency and to facilitate its accessibility to the European Parliament and Council.
6. Mitigate the risk of gold-plating of EU legislation by systematically including in directives the requirement to provide correlation tables and by providing support and guidance to member states on the implementation of new legislation.
7. Further use and develop the SME scoreboard to monitor more easily regulatory initiatives with the most significant impact on smaller companies and identify the source of burdens, including gold-plating.
8. Ensure effective, prompt and synchronised transposition of EU legislation by member states through the introduction of commencement dates for EU legislation.
9. Conduct systematic reviews of the stock of EU legislation by policy areas/sectors and cross-cutting issues, focusing on the removal of unnecessary burdens on business, especially SMEs.
10. Introduce a new commitment from the three institutions to minimise the overall regulatory burden by establishing a new target and putting in place a fast-track procedure for the Council and the European Parliament to quickly approve burden reduction proposals without adding new burdens.

MOST BURDENSOME EU LAWS

1. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction on Chemicals)
2. VAT- Value Added Tax Legislation
3. General Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package
4. Recognition of Professional Qualifications
5. Shipments of Waste- Waste Framework Legislation-List of Waste and Hazardous Waste
6. Labour-market related Legislation
7. Data Protection
8. Working Time
9. Recording Equipment in Road Transport (For driving and rest periods)
10. Procedures for the Award of Public Contracts (Public Works, Supply and Service Contracts)
11. Modernized Customs Code