Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-03-Speech-1-095"
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"en.20070903.17.1-095"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, better regulation is a highly political project. At the last major debate on this issue here in this House in April last year, I emphasised that we want to achieve two objectives: firstly, we want to increase citizens' confidence in the entire system of European integration, and secondly, we must establish clear and dependable parameters for the European economy so that it can provide jobs and growth.
We are now in the process of implementing comprehensive monitoring of the current burdens; this monitoring is taking place in 10 major economic sectors, which in practice covers around 85% of Europe's entire economy. This is to enable us to identify the reduction potential. The target – as has already been stated – is to reduce these costs by 25% by the year 2012. I fully endorse what Mr Doorn has said. Of course it is important to ensure that having reduced burdens in one area, new legislation does not create other burdens elsewhere. That is a very important point and I am most grateful to Parliament for drawing attention to it.
I hope that the Member States will set equally ambitious goals before the end of this year, for this project can only be successful if it is pursued jointly at European and national level.
Naturally, stakeholder groups have an important role to play in this project, and we need their support. That is why a high-level independent panel of experts will be established, representing small and medium-sized enterprises, consumers and environmental organisations, whose role is to advise the Commission on potential reduction measures.
The Commission is extremely grateful, as I am, to the European Parliament for its broad support, expressed in the reports we are debating today. The Commission is especially pleased that Mrs Lévai's report urges the Council and Parliament to undertake systematic impact assessments of proposed amendments having potential significant impacts. We had already agreed on this in November 2005 in common interinstitutional approaches.
The Commission would also ask the Council and Parliament to endorse the proposal made by Mr Doorn and further adapt their working methods so that certain tasks relating to the simplification of legislation can be carried out swiftly. It does not help us, after all, if projects remain in the pipeline.
In relation to the various instruments summarised as soft law in Mr Medina Ortega's report, the Commission wishes to emphasise that classic legislation is not always the most appropriate solution. I would like to underline the principle yet again: laws should only be adopted where absolutely necessary. We have other instruments whose application is clearly regulated by the Community Treaties, as well as those which serve solely to pave the way for future legislation. On behalf of the entire Commission, I truly can promise you that in all the instruments that we are applying, we completely respect the rights of Parliament and will keep Parliament fully informed in the interests of mutual respect between our institutions.
Let me conclude by reiterating what President Barroso stated, in this House last April, to be the basic principle. European legislation is indeed the unique and defining feature of the European Union, for we are a legal community. European integration is based on the law. Only the law can guarantee the freedoms that Europeans enjoy today, and only the law can provide the economy with dependable and fair parameters. The citizens of Europe have a right to expect not just better legislation but the best legislation that is humanly possible.
Since then, we have made good progress. According to the polls, public endorsement of European integration is higher than it has been for a long time, our economic position has greatly improved and is looking bright, and we have a broad consensus for continuing the course embarked upon, based on our partnership for growth and employment. As part of this policy for jobs and growth, better regulation is a key pillar. Although the overall political situation is currently very favourable, we must not slacken our efforts now; on the contrary, we must utilise the current momentum.
After all, the mood can turn again just as swiftly, and we would be deluding ourselves if we believed that the European Union's image has already fundamentally changed. People still have it firmly in their heads that everything that comes out of Europe is irrelevant, overblown in scope and centralistic. This accusation is undoubtedly exaggerated, but it is important to recognise that this is the European public's perception. We therefore have to work hard to counter this reflex.
We want a Europe of results. We want a Europe which brings security, prosperity and environmental protection to all spheres of life. That must be expressed in all our practical decisions in every area of policy, whether it be in chemicals law, in the pharmaceuticals industry, in information technology or in agriculture. Make no mistake: better regulation is not an image campaign. We have completely overhauled our policy style and the way in which we prepare and review legislation. I say again: better regulation must not be viewed in isolation but as part of an overall strategy, a fundamentally new direction in European politics.
Similar attempts have been made in the past, but this project which we are talking about today has two very special features: its scope and its sustainability. In the past, we have focused on
adjustments. Now, however, we have extended the scope of the ‘better regulation’ concept to encompass the entire European legislative process, from assessing the need for a law, with strict subsidiarity checks, to broad consultation with stakeholder groups, assessment of economic, social and environmental policy impacts, to the issue of the best possible application and implementation of Community law. However, better legislation not only relates to new initiatives; we are also in the process of reviewing the existing
in its entirety to determine where and how it can be simplified and updated.
The second new aspect is sustainability, which we are pursuing with this approach. This is not a one-off campaign; as some of the rapporteurs have already said, this is a process which is both deep and far-reaching and is being pursued consistently. All the initiatives tabled which have not been adopted by the legislature will be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, withdrawn. One such review is currently taking place with a view to the work programme for 2008.
Our simplification programme will be continued in 2007 and 2008 as well and we will be unveiling a range of new initiatives here. The outcome will be progressive coverage of all the European Union's areas of legislation. We are deploying all the methods at our disposal, as outlined and supported by Mr Gargani in his report. Half of the initiatives envisaged in the simplification programme have already been successfully completed, and we will pursue this work intensively until 2009. This will lead to direct and tangible benefits for companies, public authorities and individuals. Our goal is to achieve a situation in which our legislation is, in every case, clear, comprehensible and user-friendly and also takes account of technological progress.
For the purposes of quality control and impact assessment, we have set up the Impact Assessment Board, which operates independently of the relevant Commission services and is already making a very positive contribution. I am most grateful to Mrs Lévai for pledging her full support for this body in her report. However, I would also like to make it very clear to you that we are committed to reviewing this system next year and that we will take appropriate steps, as required, based on the findings of this review. I would like to emphasise that in light of the important points raised by Mr Doorn.
One of the major priorities this year is reducing the administrative burdens arising for companies as a result of EU rules. To that end, we have already unveiled 10 'fast track actions', and thanks to the European Parliament's prompt support, two of them have already been implemented successfully. Further proposals will follow."@en1
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