11. Mr. Alan W. WilliamsIf he will make a statement on his Department's objectives for the UK presidency. [30874]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThree departmental objectives for the UK presidency have been set. The first is to convince our European partners, the Commission and the European Parliament of the importance of better regulation. That is vital if we are to free business to create jobs and wealth. The second is to ensure simplification of burdensome rules. Simpler EU rules will help bring the EU closer to 1048 its citizens. The third is to improve the EU's regulatory processes to ensure better quality regulations for business and citizens in future.
Mr. WilliamsI thank my hon. Friend for that reply and for the initiatives that he has taken to simplify European recognition for business and the citizen. At the risk of being too pessimistic, may I ask whether he agrees that European regulation is over-bureaucratic and obsessed with red tape?
§ Mr. KilfoyleAlthough, as my hon. Friend says, there is certainly too much red tape, there is a commitment in the EU to overcome it. Indeed, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will host a presidency event this weekend in Manchester—which will be attended by more than 200 people from throughout the EU—that is dedicated to supporting the European business test panel and the simple legislation for the internal market initiative, for example.