Chamber looks to cut through export red tape

THE burden of red tape and its ability to mire down businesses looking to export successfully is being investigated by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

The GBCC has teamed up with one of the region’s MEPs to identify how intrusive the bureaucratic requirements are.

The chamber, together with MEP Daniel Dalton, are asking businesses what rules and regulations hinder them, particularly when it comes to exporting. This week is the UK’s Exporting is GREAT week.

Mr Dalton is promising to have every example of red tape raised by local businesses reviewed in Brussels.

He said: “Cutting red-tape, especially for small businesses, is absolutely vital for our competitiveness in the global economy. We have done much in the past year to remove unnecessary rules but we need to be more ambitious and I am delighted that the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce are as enthusiastic as I am.”

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “We often hear concerns from members about burdensome regulation and red tape holding back their business, particularly when it comes to exporting and EU directives (or the ‘gold plating’ of EU regulation by UK institutions). Through delivering the Enterprise Europe Network Midlands we’ve worked hard to identify and escalate barriers to SMEs trading with the EU.

“We need more people in Brussels standing up for the needs of local businesses and are pleased with Daniel’s support for this agenda. This is a problem where we simply can’t afford to not keep up the pressure.”

Mr Dalton said that like the chamber, he often heard from firms about the “tiresome regulations” and how they hold up progress.

The chamber said Mr Dalton had been part of a team that in the past year, had repealed 120 pieces of EU legislation and simplified 800 more.
 
The GBCC will be collecting information from businesses on the EU directives and regulations throughout Exporting is GREAT week. The MEP will then highlight the issues in Brussels.