EU efforts to cut red tape, streamline EU law-making will reap economic benefits

Brussels, 20 May 2015 – The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) believes the European Commission’s proposal to streamline the law-making process to simplify legislation is a welcome step in the right direction. 

Karl Cox, Chair of AmCham EU said, ‘We applaud the Commission’s commitment to cut red tape to make the EU run more efficiently and to require impact assessments at each stage of the legislative process. Impact assessments that are objective, independent and science-based are absolutely imperative to avoid unexpected consequences down the line and to ensure transparency. A more efficient, better run EU will improve competitiveness and deliver more jobs, growth and investment.’ AmCham EU agrees that impact assessments should be conducted when either Parliament or the Council makes substantial changes to Commission proposals. 

AmCham EU has long called for the Commission to consult more comprehensively with stakeholders to build a more complete picture of the impact of new regulation. The commitment of the institutions to build consultation into the impact assessment process would therefore be a hugely positive step. However, the EU could go further by also requiring impact assessments for ‘implementing and delegated acts’, the technical measures sometimes used to put EU law into practice, when they have substantial impacts. 

AmCham EU agrees with President Juncker and First-Vice President Timmermans that the EU’s number one priority must be delivering jobs, growth and investment. We are hopeful that the Parliament and Council will reach a speedy agreement to put these measures to work.