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Europe
EU now seen as a "bureaucratic monster"
2005-03-17
EFL
The European Commission launched a blitz against costly red tape yesterday, admitting that 900 draft laws in the pipeline have never been subjected to a cost-benefit analysis despite their far-reaching effects on business. Gunter Verheugen, the enterprise and industry commissioner, said the EU was now seen as a "bureaucratic monster" responsible for an avalanche of costly rules that were smothering enterprise. He cited a draft EU law regulating the size of coffee and chicory packs as the ultimate idiocy and questioned whether the EU really needed "58 directives on tractors...".
"I'm a steamroller Baby
I'm 'bout to roll all over you..."
Turning the tables, he said Brussels will now police the red tape burden in member states, taking legal action against governments that failed to join the new slash-and-burn campaign.
Turning the tables! Yesterday we heard EU lawsuit threats against the slow energy deregulators. Today it's EU lawsuit threats against the verbose, which is irony at its very best. European governments will soon have even more empathy for "St. Pancake".
Posted by:Tom

#7  Regulating the curvature of a banana is the ultimate idiocy

or a quest for Levitra!
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-17 7:52:54 PM  

#6  Lol, Barbara!
Posted by: .com   2005-03-17 7:50:55 PM  

#5  "Regulating the size of coffee and chicory packs" isn't the ultimate idiocy; at least they're man-made, so it's possible to meet the regulations consistently. Difficult and costly, perhaps, but possible.

Regulating the curvature of a banana is the ultimate idiocy.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2005-03-17 7:46:33 PM  

#4  
Posted by: BigEd   2005-03-17 2:12:44 PM  

#3  One of the few good things the Clinton's ever did for the military was the Perry Iniative, which in 1994 "eliminated" military specifications. Like most things, it is taking a while to be implemented, but if you want to find mil specs for chewing gum, etc. you'll have to look on the internet because the government doesn't have them any more.
Posted by: RWV   2005-03-17 11:56:01 AM  

#2  He cited a draft EU law regulating the size of coffee and chicory packs as the ultimate idiocy and questioned whether the EU really needed "58 directives on tractors..."

Sounds like the way the U.S. military used to do their procurement. Pages of specs were devoted to gum and t-shirts. Don't know what the deal is now whether it's changed or not.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-03-17 10:31:23 AM  

#1  The EU is gonna lawsuit its client members out of the Union if they keep this crap up.
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-03-17 10:22:24 AM  

00:00