The European Union has launched a new drive to reduce its regulatory burden on companies, in a bid to tackle one of the most frequent complaints made by business.
EU economics ministers and the European Commission agreed to simplify a number of existing laws, abandon 100 draft laws still in the pipeline and to submit future proposals to rigorous impact assessments.
The drive reflects the desire of the new Commission under Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, the president, to make the European Union (EU) more competitive and business-friendly.
Mr Barroso has made clear he wants the Commission to focus on economic reforms and he supports the Lisbon agenda - an ambitious blueprint that aims to turn the European Union into the world's most competitive region by the end of the decade.
A key role in this drive will fall to the competitiveness council, a regular meeting of European Union economics, industry and research ministers and members of EU executive led by Mr Gunter Verheugen, the industry and enterprise commissioner.
