BPIF Urges Contact Over European Regulation.

The BPIF is encouraging printers to come forward with their concerns regarding regulation in the printing industry, as both Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Better Regulation Task Fo

The BPIF is encouraging printers to come forward with their concerns regarding regulation in the printing industry.

The call has come as both Gordon Brown, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Better Regulation Task Force (BRTF) have launched drives to improve the regulation of UK businesses.

The government has announced its intention to introduce common commencement dates for regulations affecting businesses.

The BPIF welcomed the proposals, which were set out in the governments Action Plan for Small Business published in January 2004.

The government was backed up by David Arculus, Chairman of the BRTF, who at a meeting at the CBI reported that Brown had ensured that better European regulation will be the focus of the next four EU Presidencies - including that of the UK in 2005.

Brown was adamant that, "in the next two years every proposed regulation should be put to the costs test, then the jobs test and then the 'is it really necessary' test".

The BPIF's public affairs officer, Laura Jackson, welcomed Brown's challenging call to Brussels to rid itself of 'wasteful' regulations, which are threatening business in the European Union.

The BPIF is also picking up the gauntlet thrown down by Arculus, to the trade associations, who attended the recent CBI meeting, to work with the BRTF in identifying regulatory problems arising from Brussels and lobby to secure industry-friendly solutions.

In particular, the BRTF is looking for evidence of unnecessary gold plating of EU Directives by the UK government; this is the practice of implementing EU Directives into UK law in a tighter fashion than other countries, with the result that UK business is put at a disadvantage in Europe.

The new proposals to introduce common commencement dates offer more stability and certainty to people who run businesses; the BPIF is pleased to see that the Government is acting on the fine sounding principles set out in policy papers such as 'Think Small First', which was published in 2001.

This paper acknowledged that regulations impose a disproportionate burden on the smallest firms.

The BRTF has identified five principles of better regulation - proportionality, transparency, accountability, targeting and consistency - and the government has vowed to adhere to these principles.

The BPIF believes it is crucial to the printing industry that these ambitions are realised.

The BPIF said it would continue to put pressure on the government to stick to and deliver on their ambitious plans.

If anyone would like to raise a concern about regulation in the printing industry, they have been asked to contact Laura Jackson at the BPIF (Email: laura.Jackson@bpif.org.uk or telephone 020 7215 8319.

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