Businesses asked to provide examples of UK gold-plating
01 April 2006
Jim Allister QC MEP has welcomed the appointment of Neil Davidson QC, the former Solicitor General for Scotland, to conduct an independent review into the UK’s implementation of EU legislation and called upon business and business organisations in Northern Ireland to engage fully with the review.
The review will focus on issues of “over-implementation” – where Her Majesty’s Government, and NI departments, have implemented regulations that are stricter or more burdensome than required by EU law. This could arise for a number of reasons, including:
• the UK, and Northern Ireland Departments, extending the scope of EU legislation;
• failing to streamline the overlap between existing domestic and new EU-derived legislation; and
• uncertainty created by lack of clarity in guidance as to what is mandatory and what is merely best practice.
“The review provides an opportunity for businesses to submit hard evidence of “gold-plating”, EU legislation that has been implemented in the UK in ways that go beyond the minimum EU requirements. I will be convening a meeting tomorrow of NI Business organisations to get relevant examples, from their experience, of over zealous implementation of directives. Already there is ample anecdotal evidence, what we now need are clearly defined and referenced examples”
