Robert calls for reduced EU regulations
MEP ROBERT STURDY HIGHLIGHTS BURDEN OF 100,000 EXTRA PAGES OF EU RULES UNDER LABOUR
The true scale of an extra 100,000 pages added to the Acquis Communautaire – the EU’s rulebook – since Labour came to power has been highlighted by Conservative MEP Robert Sturdy.
Research by the think tank Open Europe has shown that the Acquis is now 170,000 pages long in total, and that from 1998 to 2008, the number of legal acts in force in the EU has more than doubled from 10,800 in 1998 to over 26,500 in 2008.
Mr Sturdy said that while some legislation may be advantageous, for example if it helps complete the internal market, the sheer volume of new EU rules represents an added burden on business and highlights how Labour has failed to prevent powers being passed to the EU in a number of important areas. Additionally, the British Chamber of Commerce has estimated that EU regulation now costs the Eastern Region £8.4 billion a year, the third highest in the UK.
Mr Sturdy said:
“The Labour government and Labour MEPs have allowed far too much extra regulation to be imposed on our charities, workers and businesses. The Eastern Region’s entrepreneurs should be free to develop their businesses and people should be free to live their lives free from EU interference.
“The British Chamber of Commerce has recently estimated that the EU is costing £11 billion more than last year, equivalent to 10% of the NHS budget, or one-third of that for the Armed Forces.
“To its credit, the European Commission has begun a programme of scrapping or simplifying laws that are either obsolete or unnecessarily complex.
“If the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, the number of rules will be even higher. That’s why the British people must have the referendum they were promised by Gordon Brown. Too many people feel the EU creates rules and regulations, and that it is not on their side. It is time we looked at the EU’s rulebook and asked what regulations we really need.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Robert Sturdy MEP is available for interview on 0032 2284 7294 or through Press Officer Ellee Seymour on 01353 648564 or 07939 811961.
