Brussels, 06/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - The reduction of excessive administrative burdens remains a key aspect of the EU's strategy for growth and employment. The Ecofin Council is getting ready to reiterate this message in conclusions it is to adopt on Tuesday 10 November, on improvements to the rules in force. Reducing the administrative burden, a recurring subject for the member states and the Commission, which has just published an overview of progress made on this subject (EUROPE 10004), would help to improve the business environment and support economic growth and employment at a time when the public purse is particularly stretched, the draft conclusions stress. The Council states that efforts to reduce the administrative burden should not go against measures which aim to guarantee the integrity and transparency of the financial markets, particularly as regards new legislative proposals, or jeopardise fiscal revenue. Greater efforts are still needed, at EU level and in the member states, to achieve the objective of reducing the administrative costs placed on EU businesses by Community legislation by 25% between now and 2012. The Council will therefore undertake generally to avoid adding any unnecessary administrative load to its legislative proposals and calls on the European Parliament to do the same. (A.B./transl.fl)