SMEs: EPP Group sets up 'Red Tape Watch'

Pieper calls for "full intervention rights" against excessive bureaucracy for Timmermans

A working group to scrutinise every EU law with regard to excessive regulation and its impact on SMEs has been set up by the EPP Group in the European Parliament. "In this new legislative period, we finally have to take the gloves off and make sure that new EU law focuses on what is really essential. Too detailed regulation is a barrier to economic growth", explained Markus Pieper MEP, the newly-elected Chairman of the 40 MEP working group called the SME Circle.

"We want to be a 'Red Tape Watch', an observatory against bureaucratic excess", Pieper stressed.

The EPP Group MEP calls in particular for intervention rights for the designated First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans. "It is very promising that Jean-Claude Juncker created a portfolio for better regulation and deregulation at such a senior level. But Timmermans must get a veto right and full intervention rights against excessive bureaucracy", said Pieper.

As a long term objective, Pieper wants a European Regulatory Control Board. "We need an institutionalised control body preventing infringements of the principle of subsidiarity and measuring the cost of bureaucracy", he said.

Too detailed regulation is a barrier to economic growth. Markus Pieper

The group of MEPs wants to pay particular attention to questions of SMEs’ access to finance, IT law and vocational training schemes.

"In these areas, we will sound out the new Commissioners. If new data protection rules are set, we will also create bureaucracy for SMEs. If we regulate banks or energy markets, this induces costs for SMEs. All these are examples of where we want to act", concluded Pieper.

The Vice-Chairmen of the Working Group are Bendt Bendtsen (Denmark), Paul Rübig (Austria), Antonio Tajani (Italy), Pilar del Castillo (Spain) and Michał Boni (Poland).