§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she plans to take in response to the Commission's Action Plan for Better Regulation presented to the Seville European Council. [70103]
§ Mr. AlexanderI have been asked to reply.
Firstly, the Government will be producing a formal written response to the Commission's Action Plan on Better Regulation. Through this response, it will welcome the Commission's adoption of a strategy aimed at simplifying and improving the regulatory environment and call for full and timely implementation of the measures contained in the Action Plan. The Action Plan is a key element of the Lisbon economic reform process and its implementation is required if the EU is to achieve its Lisbon goal of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.
Secondly, the Government will play an active role in the structures which are currently being established to monitor implementation of the Action Plan, attaching great importance to the involvement of member states in the monitoring process.
Thirdly, the Government will continue to work with the Community Institutions and other member states, at official and ministerial level, to promote better regulation
361Wwithin the EU, recognising that achieving progress in this area involves commitment and action by all parties which play a part in the EU's law-making processes.
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has(a) made to and (b) received from the Commission of the European Union regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandelkern report on better Regulation; and if she will make a statement. [70102]
§ Mr. AlexanderI have been asked to reply.
Since its publication in November 2001, the Government have been active in pressing for the full and timely implementation of the Mandelkern Report's recommendations. In particular, the Government have focused on encouraging the Commission to draw on the report as a solid basis for its Action Plan to improve and simplify the European regulatory environment, called for at the Lisbon European Council (March 2000). In January 2002 the Government issued a formal response to a Commission Communication on this issue, reiterating the need for the rapid implementation of the Mandelkern Report and informing the Commission of the action we are taking at the national level in line with the Report's recommendations.
For its part the Commission has responded by including the majority of the Mandelkern recommendations in its Action Plan, presented to the Seville European Council in June. The Government welcomes the Action Plan which sets out a clear strategy for better regulation at the European level and contains 16 specific measures with defined deadlines for implementation. We will now be working hard to ensure that it is swiftly and effectively implemented.