NoC 101/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.4.90 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Amended proposal for a Council recommendation relating to the implementation of a policy of 
administrative simplification in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Member 
States (l) 
COM(90) 58 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 8 March 1990 pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty) 
(90/C 101/14) 
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Parliament and the 
Economic and Social Committee, 
Whereas the Council has adopted the following resol­
utions: 
— resolution of the 3rd of November 1986 on the 
action programme for small and medium-sized enter­
prises and the declaration on administrative burdens 
on business, 
— resolution of the 22nd of December 1986 on an 
action programme for growth and employment, 
— resolution of the 30th of June 1988 on the 
improvement of the business environment and action 
to promote the development of enterprises, especially 
small and medium-sized enterprises in the 
Community, 
Whereas the Commission has adopted the following 
communications: 
— communication on an enterprises policy for the 
Community, 
— communication on administrative simplification in the 
Community, 
— third report on the realization of the objectives of the 
Community action programme for small and 
medium-sized enterprises, 
— communication on the administrative simplification 
measures taken by the Member States on behalf of 
enterprises in the Community. 
Whereas measures are taken at the level of the 
Community to assure a favourable environment for 
business, and, notably to simplify legislation and to 
(') OJ No C 189, 26. 7. 1989, p. 17. lighten the administrative burden on business, in 
particular small and medium-sized enterprises; 
Whereas such action must equally be assured by 
national, regional and local administrations; 
Whereas exchange of information and comparison of 
experiences between the Member States, in particular as 
organized in the Community context, have facilitated 
the establishment of a global view of the measures 
implemented in each Member State; 
Whereas such an approach leads to a strengthening of 
this policy and, as a result, to the stimulation of the spirit 
of enterprise, to the strengthening of market forces and 
to the promotion of growth and employment, 
RECOMMENDS TO THE MEMBER STATES: 
1. to implement programmes of administrative simpli­
fication in favour of busineses, involving their 
governments, parliaments and regional and local 
institutions; 
2. to ensure that the above arrangements relate to 
simplification both of new legislative proposals and of 
existing legislation; 
3. to encourage the general application of the 
procedures followed in the European Community of 
assessing new measures so as to gauge their impact on 
business, and in particular small and medium-sized 
enterprises (impact assessment); 
4. to pay particular attention to the following points: 
a) improvement of the organization of administration, in 
particular of services in contact with enterprises, with 
the view to improving their efficiency and speed of 
response; 
21.4.90 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 101/9 
b) standardization and reduction in forms and returns 
used in the fields of accountancy, taxation, social 
affairs, statistics, etc.; 
c) acceleration of the computerization of administrative 
procedures with the view to reducing returns of data 
by more cumbersome traditional methods; 
d) establishment of one-stop shops providing guidance 
on the overall formalities to be observed on the 
creation of an enterprise, in particular in the less-
favoured regions; 
e) replacement of the need for formal authorization by 
procedures involving approval by non-opposition, 
according to which at the end of a certain time-limit 
the absence of a reaction on the part of the adminis­
tration is taken as approval; 
f) improvement of information to small and 
medium-sized enterprises, notably by the publication 
of vade-mecum, brochures and administrative organi-
grammes; 
g) consolidation of legislation; h) suppression of redundant legislation and adaptation 
of legislation which no longer reflects economic and 
social reality; 
5. to create or maintain within their services a consul­
tative committee, which should include representatives of 
business, including small and medium-sized enterprises, 
and of the administration, with the view to promoting 
the simplification of administrative procedures and of 
legislation; 
6. to inform the Commission regularly of major 
achievements in the field of administrative simplification, 
problems encountered and initiatives proposed so that 
the Commission can ensure that all Member States are 
fully aware of developments and possibilities in this 
matter; 
7. to take account, without prejudice to the social 
rights of workers and the guarantees of third parties, of 
the need for administrative simplification in their 
consideration of proposals for new national legislation 
and in the national measures for the implementation of 
Community legislation.