The Secretary of State for Business and Chair of the Reducing Regulation Committee, Vince Cable, has announced a series of new principles that the Government will use when introducing European measures into UK law, with the intention to end so-called “gold-plating” so that British businesses are not put at a disadvantage relative to their European competitors.
The key to the new measures will be the principle of copying out the text of European directives directly into UK law. This direct “copy out” principle will mean that British interpretations of European law are not unfairly restricting British companies.
The new measures will also place an express duty on ministers to conduct a review of European legislation every five years. This will allow businesses to influence any necessary improvements based on their own practical experience of applying the rules.