Better Lawmaking in Europe?

Last June, the European Commission presented a report, ‘Better lawmaking 2006.’ According to Article 9 of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the Commission must undertake an annual report on the legislative activities of the Community. The main focus of the report is the European Commission efforts on better regulation during 2006. According to this report, the total number of Commission proposals for Regulations, Directives, Decisions and Recommendation was 474 in 2006. The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Mr. McFadden has recently said to the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee that the government is particularly pleased with the Commission’s action plan to evaluate administrative costs as well as with the Commission’s target of reducing administrative burdens coming from EU legislation by 25 per cent by 2012. However, the European Scrutiny Committee does not believe that the Commission’s better law making policy has been improving Community regulation as the Commission continues to make proposals which entail “unnecessary burdens.”