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Simplification

Simplification involves removing unnecessarily complex or burdensome requirements, or bureaucratic procedures, from legislation. Work is ongoing in the European Commission’s new rolling programme to scope the body of European law according to a set of indicators. Simplified proposals are then drafted and forwarded to the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for consideration.

In its update of November 2003, the first of three six-monthly reviews covering progress up to the end of 2004, the Commission reported that 14 out of a planned 23 simplified proposals for adoption emerged during phase I (March to October 2003), plus an extra four not previously planned. four more simplified proposals were expected before the end of the year. There will be a further update report at the end phase II (November 2003 to March 2004).

The Commission’s reports can be found on the European Commision (EUROPA) website, Governance in the EU.

The Better Regulation Task Force is undertaking a review of an area of European legislation with the aim of feeding into this simplification programme. They plan to identify an area of existing European legislation where the regulations have built up in an inconsistent, confusing or burdensome manner, and make suggestions for simplification.

The Commission’s new simplification programme builds on the experience of the SLIM (Simpler Legislation for the Internal Market) initiative. Further information can be found on the European Commission's web pages for SLIM .

Relevant Links

Governance in the EU - European Commision web pages
Better Regulation Task Force website
SLIM - European Commission web pages