The European Commission launched a blitz against costly red tape yesterday, admitting that 900 draft laws in the pipeline have never been subjected to a cost-benefit analysis despite their far-reaching effects on business. Gunter Verheugen, the enterprise and industry commissioner, said the EU was now seen as a "bureaucratic monster" responsible for an avalanche of costly rules that were smothering enterprise. He cited a draft EU law regulating the size of coffee and chicory packs as the ultimate idiocy and questioned whether the EU really needed "58 directives on tractors..."."I'm a steamroller Baby
I'm 'bout to roll all over you..."
Turning the tables, he said Brussels will now police the red tape burden in member states, taking legal action against governments that failed to join the new slash-and-burn campaign.
Turning the tables! Yesterday we heard EU lawsuit threats against the slow energy deregulators. Today it's EU lawsuit threats against the verbose, which is irony at its very best. European governments will soon have even more empathy for "St. Pancake".