The EU Competitiveness Council is today expected to ask the Commission to propose targets for reducing ‘regulatory burden’.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is strongly opposed to such targets.
ETUC Confederal Secretary Veronica Nilsson said “A target is sure to be arbitrary, puts the onus on getting rid of regulation for the sake of it, and puts at risk good regulation which protects workers, consumers or the environment. We know this because much-needed legislation – such as extending maternity leave and exposure limits to cancer-causing chemicals – are victims of the so-called regulatory fitness programme.”
“Instead of setting random targets the Commission should unblock the legislation which has been held up and come up with a list of what they consider to be too burdensome.”
“Frankly I am amazed that Ministers are being presented with draft conclusions that say not one positive thing about EU regulation.”
Draft conclusions seen by ETUC refer to introducing ‘sectoral targets in particularly burdensome areas’. The ETUC has sought but failed to get any clarification as to what this means.
