THE European Commission has opened a new front in its campaign against red tape in business with the announcement that it plans to prune thousands of pages from the European Union’s rule book.

Günter Verheugen, the Enterprise and Industry Commissioner, presented a package of measures yesterday to repeal or modify 220 pieces of basic EU legislation and 1,400 implementing measures over the next three years.

His initial targets are heavily regulated sectors such as cars, waste and the construction industry, but the rolling programme also aims to cut bureaucracy in other areas, notably foodstuffs, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and service industries and to reduce red tape for small companies.

Herr Verheugen insisted that there would be no lowering of health and safety and environmental standards. “Better regulation is not deregulation,” he said. “The policy objectives do not change, but the way to get there will be much easier, cheaper and more effective.”

Under the proposals, EU standards for car parts such as fuel tanks, indicators and headlights will be abolished if, as is increasingly the case, international standards for Europe approved by the United Nations already exist. This would cut EU legislation in this area from 56 to 28 directives.

Waste disposal rules dating from 1975 would be updated. “What used to be considered as waste, such as paper and metal, can now be treated as a raw material,” an official said.

Technical specifications and certification rules for building products such as window frames would be applied more flexibly and construction companies would be required to make reports less frequently.

The CBI, welcomed the initiative, but the business organisation said that it would wait to see whether the proposals were going to be put into effect before passing judgment.

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