2007/623/EC: Commission Decision of 31 August 2007 setting up the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens
Date: 2007-08-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Union, administrative formalities, committee (EU), operation of the Institutions, overheads, powers of the institutions (EU), self-employed person

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 August 2007

setting up the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens

(2007/623/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

entitled

Programme

On 24 January 2007 the Commission adopted the
‘Action
Communication
for
Reducing Administrative Burdens
in the European
Union’ (1),
in which it announced its intention to take
a
implementing this
Action Programme by involving stakeholders from all
over the European Union and continuously benefiting
from their input.

approach towards

transparent

The Action Programme was endorsed by the 2007
Spring European Council which underlined the goal of
reducing administrative burdens by 25 % by 2012.

The Commission is already consulting and cooperating
on this topic with Member States' experts through the
High Level Group of National Regulatory Experts on
Better Regulation, but with a view to ensuring an
equally effective interaction with the other stakeholders,
whose input is indispensable for reaching the ambitious
reduction target, and in accordance with the aforemen-
tioned Communication, the Commission may need to
call upon the expertise of specialists in an advisory body.

(6)

(7)

(8)

The group should advise the Commission with regard to
the Action Programme,
in particular on administrative
burden reduction measures suggested by the consultants,
through internet consultation and local workshops in the
Member States.

stakeholders

inde-
The group should be composed of high level
pendent
their
selected on the basis of
expertise in Better Regulation and/or the policy areas
covered by the Action Programme. The Commission
should ensure that the interests of small and large busi-
nesses,
social partners, consumer and environmental
organisations, including non-governmental organisations,
are adequately represented.

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the
group should be provided for, without prejudice to
the Commission’s rules on security as set out in the
Annex to Commission Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC,
Euratom (2).

Personal data relating to members of the group should
be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
45/2001 of
the
the European Parliament
Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of
individuals with regard to the processing of personal
data by the Community institutions and bodies and on
the free movement of such data (3).

and of

(4)

It is therefore necessary to set up a group of experts in
the field of reduction of administrative burdens and to
define its tasks and its structure.

(9)

It is appropriate to fix a period for the application of this
in due course consider
Decision. The Commission will
the advisability of an extension,

(2) OJ L 317, 3.12.2001, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision

2006/548/EC, Euratom (OJ L 215, 5.8.2006, p. 38).

(1) COM(2007) 23 final, 24 January 2007.

(3) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

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HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on
Administrative Burdens

The High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Admin-
istrative Burdens, hereinafter referred to as ‘the group’, is hereby
set up with effect from 31 August 2007.

Article 2

Task
The group’s task shall be to advise the Commission with regard
to the Action Programme for Reducing Administrative Burdens
in the European Union whose aim is to reduce administrative
burdens on businesses arising from EU legislation by 25 %
by 2012.

In particular, the group will:

— provide advice on administrative burden reduction measures
suggested by the consultants, through internet consultation
and local workshops in Member States,

— advise the Commission at its request on methodological

issues that may arise in the Action Programme,

— suggest which additional pieces of existing legislation could
be included in the EU-wide measurement exercise, as
necessary.

The Commission shall first appoint the chairperson of the
2.
group. The members of the group shall then be appointed by
the Commission in consultation with the chairperson from high
level stakeholders with competence in the areas referred to in
Article 2 and 3(1).

The members shall be selected on the basis of their expertise in
Better Regulation and/or the policy areas covered by the Action
Programme. The Commission shall ensure that the interests of
small and large businesses, social partners, consumer and en-
vironmental organisations, including non-governmental organ-
isations are adequately represented.

The members shall be appointed in a personal capacity
3.
and shall advise the Commission independently of any outside
influence in accordance with this decision.

4. Members of the group are appointed for a three-year term
of office. They shall remain in office until such time as they are
replaced or their term of office ends.

5. Members who are no longer capable of contributing effec-
tively to the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not
comply with the conditions set out paragraph 3 of this Article,
or Article 287 of the Treaty may be replaced for the remainder
of their term of office.

The mandate is given for three years: it may be extended by
Commission Decision.

6. Members shall each year sign an undertaking to act in the
public interest and a declaration indicating the absence or
existence of any interest which may undermine their objectivity.

Article 3

Consultation

1.
The Commission may consult the group on any matter
relating to the implementation of the Action Programme for
Reducing Administrative Burdens in the European Union.

The chairperson of the group may advise the Commission
2.
that it is desirable to consult the group on a specific question.
The group shall not provide such advice unless being requested
in writing by the Commission.

Article 4

Membership — Appointment

1.

The group shall be composed of up to 15 members.

7.
The names of members shall be published on the Internet
site of the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry. The
names of members shall be collected, processed and published
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001.

Article 5

Operation

1.
In agreement with the Commission, sub-groups may be
set up to examine specific questions under terms of reference
established by the group. Such sub-groups shall be dissolved as
soon as their objectives have been reached. Where appropriate,
the opinion of existing stakeholder groups with sectoral
expertise will be sought and transmitted to the group and
sub-groups.

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The Commission or the chairperson,

in agreement with
2.
the Commission, may ask experts or observers with specific
competence on a subject on the agenda to participate in the
group’s or sub-groups' deliberations if
this is useful and/or
necessary.

3.
Information obtained by participating in the deliberations
of a group or sub-group shall not be divulged if, in the opinion
information relates to confidential
of
matters.

the Commission,

that

The group and its sub-groups shall normally meet on
4.
Commission premises in accordance with the procedures and
schedule
for
Enterprise and Industry shall provide secretarial services.

it. The Directorate-General

established by

The group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis
the
the

procedure

standard

adopted

rules

by

of

5.
of
Commission (1).

Article 6

Meeting expenses

The Commission shall reimburse travel and, where appropriate,
subsistence expenses for members, experts and observers in
connection with the group’s activities in accordance with the
Commission’s rules on the compensation of external experts.

The members, experts and observers shall not be remunerated
for the services they render.

Meeting expenses are reimbursed within the limits of the allo-
cations annually set by the responsible Commission services.

Article 7

Applicability

The decision shall apply until three years after its adoption by
the Commission.

Done at Brussels, 31 August 2007.

The Commission will in general publish on the Internet,
6.
in the original
the document concerned, any
relevant summary or conclusion resulting from the work of
the group.

language of

For the Commission

Günter VERHEUGEN
Vice-President

(1) See standard rules of procedure — Annex III of document

SEC(2005) 1004.