Holyrood focuses on EU legal burden
28 Nov 05
Committee to look how directives are implemented in bid to cut burden on business
Holyrood’s European and External Relations Committee is to look into the enforcement of European directives affecting Scottish interests.
Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Wallace will report to the committee on whether directives are being implemented more strictly than their terms require compared with England and Wales or other parts of the EU.
Mr Wallace said he was keen to use the inquiry to establish how the implementation of directives was affecting Scottish businesses, suppliers and individuals across a range of sectors.
He added that overburdening Scottish businesses through guidance and laws coming from Europe could not be healthy for the nation's prosperity and that there was a strong perception that this is what is happening.
The inquiry will focus mainly on agriculture, fishing, food safety and the environment, targeting specific examples such as regulations on waste disposal by incineration under the Waste Incineration Directive, air quality regulations, fishing and food safety regulations. It is expected to take between four and six months.