On Wednesday 23 October, MEPs agreed on the need for better regulation and less red tape for European businesses, particularly SMEs.
However, some of them felt that the simplification of standards, which the next European Commission has made a priority, should not lead to a levelling down of standards.
The debate was led by European Commissioner Helena Dalli and Swedish EPP MEP Jörgen Warborn, who said it was essential to “unleash the forces of competitiveness” in the EU in light of the ‘Letta’ and ‘Draghi’ reports.
He explained that “reducing the regulatory burden is not an objective in itself, but that the objective is to create a prosperous Europe”, while the figures show the continent’s decline over the last 15 years.
Citing the European Commission’s ‘one in, one out’ approach and efforts to cut red tape for SMEs by 25%, Mr Warborn called for more to be done. “That’s why the EPP is proposing the ‘one in, two out’ principle; this will really help to reduce charges and additional costs”.
The EPP will also refuse to examine “any new proposal that is not accompanied by a proper impact assessment”.
Commissioner Dalli, for her part, stressed that competitiveness and reducing the administrative burden are priorities now included “in all the mission statements” of future Commissioners. “Everyone will ensure that contradictions and overlaps are eliminated”, she added, pointing out that the Commission has also planned to reduce notification requirements for SMEs by 25% and 35%.
German S&D member René Repasi believes, however, that caution is called for. “We must not bring the wolf into the henhouse and lower standards” or seek “to get rid of environmental constraints”. “’Yes’ to the introduction of digital tools and a change of mindset in administrations; ‘no’ to any levelling down of our standards”, he warned.
For the ECR, it’s mainly a question of reducing redundant standards, and for Renew Europe, we must put an end to a “regulatory tome that is heavy and indigestible for SMEs”, said Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (French). “Europe needs to change course and inject a dose of competitiveness with clearer and more appropriate solutions”, she said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)