Cabinet Office minister Graham Stringer said he was pleased that the EU report echoes "so closely the government's efforts at home on better regulation." He added, "This is another example of the government working with its European partners to achieve positive change."

The report sets out principles for better regulation and is due to be followed by a White Paper on European governance in July. The EU is also planning to release an action plan for simplifying and improving the regulatory environment by the end of the year.

The report suggests four changes: the creation of an on going program for simplifying and codifying existing European legislation; consultations on new proposals should last longer; all policy decisions will be assessed for regulatory impact; administrative structures for regulatory review should be strengthened.

The European Commission is also examining alternatives and complementary approaches to legislation, such as self-regulation and co-regulation.

The European Parliament and European Commission adopted the interim report last week and it will be submitted to heads of state and government at the Stockholm European Council on March 23-24.

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