High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens

"The motto of administrative burden reduction has to be: as little legislation as possible. Europe has to give priority to ideas and innovation without bureaucratic stop signs. We will give economic growth in Europe a forward push if we manage to get on with this." Edmund Stoiber, Chairman of the High Level Group

The EU Commission has appointed a high-level group of independent experts to advise it on reducing administrative burdens linked to its legislation.

So far the Commission has taken into account the group’s recommendations and suggestions in several proposals, such as those concerning the facilitation of electronic invoicing and the exemption of micro enterprises from EU accounting rules.

Function

Under its first mandate [27 KB] the Group's main task had been to provide advice on administrative burden reduction measures suggested in the context of the Action Programme for Reducing Administrative Burdens in the EU. With the new mandate adopted by the Commission on 17 August 2010, the Group will continue this work until 31 December 2012 to fully exploit the savings potential of the Action Programme. In addition, the mandate has been extended by the following aspects:

• The group shall advise the Commission on its Simplification Rolling Programme, in particular with regard to the acts with high potential for reducing administrative burdens
• it shall assist the Commission in ensuring progress in adopting proposals on reducing administrative burden by the Council and Parliament
• it shall prepare a report by November 2011 on best practice in Member States to implement EU legislation in the least burdensome way
• it shall engage in a more regular and structured exchange with the Impact Assessment Board.

Membership

• Chair: Edmund Stoiber
• Members [42 KB]

Agenda 2012

• 26 January
• 21 February
• 22 March
• 3 May
• 21 June
• 20 September
• 6 November
• 6 December