Donnerstag, 24. Oktober 2013

Cutting EU red tape - Business Task Force and Business Leaders response supported by BCCG

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has asked a Business Taskforce to evaluate the needs of European reform for business:
“It’s vital that business can take full advantage of the EU’s single market. But all too often EU rules are a handicap for firms, hampering their efforts to succeed in the global race. Business people, particularly owners of small firms, are forced to spend too much time complying with pointless, burdensome and costly regulations and that means less time developing a new product, winning contracts or hiring young recruits. I’m determined to change that and to get the EU working for business, not against it.

That’s why I got this Taskforce together, so we could establish from business what they really need. This report makes clear that there are lots of simple and practical ways to cut EU red tape and save businesses across Europe tens of billions of euros.

We must now persuade our European partners and the European Commission to listen to business and to move faster to reform the way Europe regulates. At next week’s European Council, I’ll be calling for a clear commitment to sweep away unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and to unleash private sector growth - helping to secure the economic recovery for all.”


The report of the Business Taskforce can be read here (please click).

Letter from EU business leaders in response to the 'Cutting EU red tape' report from the Business Taskforce, sent Oct. 23 to the Members of the European Council, supported by BCCG:


"To the Members of the European Council

As you meet in Brussels this week for the European Council, securing the economic recovery continues to be a priority for governments across the EU.

As European business leaders, we know first hand the challenges that businesses are facing in the current economic climate.  One of the greatest obstacles is problematic, poorly-understood and burdensome European rules that all too often encumber business.  And this has the biggest impact on the smallest companies, which we know create 80% of all new EU jobs.

In the global market place, we believe that the EU should be taking action to make European business more competitive, and not place excessive and unnecessary burdens on them that stifles growth and job creation.

Proportionate, well designed legislation has a key role to play in ensuring regulatory stability for firms and in creating an even playing field for businesses that allows them to maximise the benefits of trading across borders.  It’s vital therefore that any EU regulation necessary for the single market is pro-growth and pro-innovation, enabling not hampering businesses to create jobs and pave the way towards economic recovery.

To this end, we welcome the Commission’s recent commitments to reduce the burden of EU regulation on business, notably through its recent REFIT Communication.

However, we believe we need to go further if we are serious about a business-led economic recovery and ensure that these commitments are now transformed into action. 

The recent report from a UK business taskforce includes a range of proposals for concrete EU action to remove unnecessary EU rules, regulations and practices, which are holding our companies back.  These proposals could save EU businesses billions of Euros – freeing up potential for innovation, growth and job-creation.

The report also proposes a new set of principles to ensure that new EU legislation is pro-growth, and allows European businesses to COMPETE and grow within the global market.


We are now calling on you, as EU leaders, to ensure that EU regulation is focused on securing the competitiveness of European business, and to place the COMPETE principles at the heart of EU policy-making.  And we urge you to demonstrate leadership by making a strong commitment at this week’s European Council to identify where the burden of regulation can be reduced to allow businesses to generate the growth that will benefit us all."

Signed
Ranjit Singh
CEO

2 Sisters Food Group
Colin Coombes
Sales Manager

Abex Power Components
Abbey Walker
Sales Director

Advanced Steel Services Ltd
Farah Ramzan Golant
CEO

All3MediaGroup
Charles Philipps

Group Chief Executive

Amlin Plc

Stephen Leigh

Manager
Argus Security Systems
Andy Clarke

President and CEO
Asda Stores Ltd
Stephen Whitehead

Chief Executive
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

Mike Stannard

CEO
Bac2 Ltd
Rebecca Hopkins

Director
Balance Me Ltd
Clare Hopkins

Director
Balance Me Ltd
Sian Jones

Director
Balance Me Ltd
Steven Stubbs

Sales Manager
Bedford Packing
Peter Ventress

CEO

Berensden plc

Steve Bates

Chief Executive Officer

BioIndustry Association (BIA)
John Longworth

Director General
British Chambers of Commerce
Andreas Meyer-Schwickerath
Director and Member of the Board
British Chamber of Commerce, Germany

Pawel Siwecki
CEO
British Polish Chamber of Commerce, Poland

Helen Dickinson

Director General
British Retail Consortium
Sir Michael Rake
Chairman (President, CBI))

BT
Gavin Patterson

CEO
BT
Bernard Dale

Partner

Capital Connection LLP

Martin Douglas

Managing Director
Cargill  Provimi UK and Ireland
John Cridland

Director General
CBI
Sir Roger Carr

Chairman
Centrica
Richard O'Connor

Co-founder

Chocolate and Love Ltd

Cecilia Leigh
Proprietor
CL Resolutions

Lara Morgan
Founder
Company Shortcuts Ltd

Joep van Beurden

CEO

CSR Plc

Brandon Bradkin

Partner

CVC

Mr Jorma Eloranta,
MSc Engineering, Vuorineuvos

Chairman of the Board
Directors’ Institute of Finland, Finland
Sir James Dyson

Founder
Dyson Ltd
Tom Enders

CEO
EADS
Cllr C. W. Siddall

Managing Director
Eastern Plastics Machinery Ltd
Terry Scuoler
Chief Executive
EEF (The Manufacturers’ Organisation)

Gary Hendler

President and CEO
Eisai Europe
Phil Nicholls

Managing Director
Emerge IT
Rajeeb Dey

CEO
Enternships
Erik Penser

CEO
Erik Penser Bank, Sweden
Alisdair Gray


Director of European Affairs
European DIY Retail Association
Mike Cherry


National Policy Chairman
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo

President/CEO
Ferrari, Italy
Dr Risto E. J. Penttilä


CEO
Finland Chamber of Commerce, Finland
Phil Orford

Chief Executive
Forum of Private Business
John Shropshire

CEO
G’s Group
Duncan Aldred

Chairman and MD
GM UK
Charlotte Knight

Founder
G'Nosh Ltd
Debbie Heald

Managing Director
Heald Limited
Alan Shaw

Managing Director
Hydom
Ian Teece

Managing Director
Hydraulics & Transmissions Ltd
Helen Ibbotson

Company Director
Ibbotson Transport Limited
David Stokes

Chief Executive
IBM UK and Ireland
Chris Yates

Finance Director
Immunodiagnostic Systems Plc
Simon Walker

Director General
Institute of Directors
Wayne Edmunds

CEO
Invensys plc
Dr Mike Lynch

Founder
Invoke Capital
Russell Taylor

CEO
ITW Group plc
Dr Jane Griffiths



Company Group Chairman – Europe, Middle East and Africa
Janssen – Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
Stephen Duckworth

Toolhire Supervisor
Jewsons Ltd
Graham Lindley

Director
Lifting Engineers
Mr Joe Tanti

CEO
Malta Business Bureau, Malta
Mr Kevin J. Borg


Director General
Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Malta
Emma
Marcegaglia

CEO
Marcegaglia spa, Italy
MKB-Nederland


MKB-Nederland, Netherlands
Brynne Herbert

Founder
MoveGuides Ltd
Richard Hetherington

Director
Nationwide Civils Ltd
Stephen J Blackler

Owner
Nortech Control Systems Ltd.
Holly Tucker

CEO & Co-founder
Notonthehighstreet.com
Sophie Cornish

Director & Co-founder
Notonthehighstreet.com
Tom Hulme

Founder & MD
OpenIDEO
Roy Davis

CEO
Optos PLC
Steve Ingham

CEO
PageGroup plc
Rekha Mehr

Founder
Pistachio Rose Ltd
Dr. Henryka Bochniarz
President

Polish Confederation Lewiatan
Andrzej S Nartowski
President and CEO
Polish Institute of Directors, Poland

Tidjane Thiam
Group Chief Executive

Prudential plc
Sarah Dembitz

Founder
Saviour Snacks Ltd
J Robert Galloway

Chief Executive
Scotbeef Ltd
Jeff Lynn

CEO & Co-founder
Seedrs Ltd
Nick Giles

Co-founder
Seven Hills
Steve Daykin

CEO
Seven Publishing Group
Guy Rigby
Partner - Head of Entrepreneurial Services

Smith & Williamson LLP
Michael Hayman

Co-founder
StartUp Britain & Seven Hills
Maria Rankka
CEO
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Sweden

Richard Gourlay

MD
Sussex Place Ventures Ltd
Janet Coyle

MD
SVC2UK Ltd
Mike Mack

CEO
Syngenta
Dr Karl Koehler

CEO and MD
Tata Steel
Lucy Armstrong

CEO
The Alchemists
Niamh Barker

MD
The Travelwrap Company
Julian Braidwood

Managing Director
Triveritas
Richard Green

CEO
Ubisense
Vanda Hatton

Internal Sales
VAN LEEUWEN LTD
James Townshend

CEO
Velcourt Group plc
Vittorio Colao
Group Chief Executive Officer

Vodafone

VNO-NCW

VNO-NCW, Netherlands
Russell Gould

MD
WDFC UK Ltd
Robert Duxbury

Technical Director
Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd
Ann Zitterkopf

Former President
WeeWorld
Dalton Philips

CEO
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc
Rowena Ironside

Chair
Women on Boards UK Ltd