Small and medium-sized enterprises and better regulation

9.1.2020

Question for oral answer  O-000003/2020
to the Commission
Rule 136
Henna Virkkunen, Jens Gieseke
on behalf of the PPE Group

The new Commission committed to cutting administrative burdens on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and apply the one-in-one out principle.

• 1.How will the Commission measure implementation costs of EU legislation, both ex-ante and ex-post, in order to reduce bureaucratic burdens and costs effectively, while safeguarding environmental, labour and social standards?
• 2.We welcome the fact that the long-standing Parliament proposal to create a central executive role for SMEs within the Commission has been accepted. Where does the Commission intend to locate the announced SME envoy in order to oversee all relevant DGs and services?
• 3.Given the current shortcomings, what improvements to the existing SME Test is the Commission planning in order to establish the SME filter? Will these improvements lead to mandatory and independent impact assessments? When carrying out thorough impact assessments to the upcoming legislation including on the European Green Deal, will the Commission assess the specific impact on SMEs and how will this relate to the SME strategy?
• 4.How will the Commission strengthen the existing Regulatory Scrutiny Board, which currently consists of three independent experts, and create a real independent screening body with sufficient resources?
• 5.What measures does the Commission intend to adopt in cases where national, regional or local implementation measures go beyond what is required by EU legislation, which lead to an excess of rules that could disproportionately affect SMEs?

Submitted: 09/01/2020

Lapses: 10/04/2020