Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

In March 2007, the European Council agreed:

administrative burdens arising from EU legislation should be reduced by 25% by 2012. Taking into account the different starting points and traditions, the European Council invites member states to set their own national targets of comparable ambition within their spheres of competence by 2008.

Prior to the spring European Council, the Government agreed that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment should lead the cross-departmental and agency drive and put in place a mechanism under the Secretary General of his Department to drive this agenda at national level.

As part of this effort, the Minister established the high level group on business regulation under the chairmanship of the Secretary General of the Department. That group comprises representatives of Departments and agencies, the business sector and a representative of ICTU. In its work to date, the group has been examining concrete measures to reduce the administrative burdens in five policy areas — taxation; statistics; environment; health and safety; and employment and company law — which are considered to impose the highest burdens on business.

I expect the high level group will submit its initial report by July 2008. Before setting a definitive national target in response to the European Council invitation, the Minister is consulting Government colleagues on what processes might be needed to assess the extent of administrative burdens on Irish business and on the measures that have been undertaken or are planned to reduce that burden.

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