Cutting red tape

"Dismantling red tape is an ongoing task."(Federal Minister Ilse Aigner)

People have high expectations of agriculture. Farmers should behave sparingly towards soil, water and air, contribute to climate protection, protect the diversity of animals and plants, and maintain the countryside. Food should be of a high quality, healthy but affordable. The agri-food sector is, therefore, a highly regulated industry.

The BMELV constantly examines the rules, standards and controls in order to determine whether they are coherent, appropriate and necessary. The high standards in environmental protection, animal welfare and consumer protection are to be maintained but they must be manageable for farm businesses. The BMELV wishes to dismantle or at least simplify anything that overshoots the mark or goes beyond the provisions of EU law.

The Ministry provides information about the results of dismantling unnecessary red tape in a progress report. Within the framework of a Federal Government programme, the BMELV has already cut 28.5 percent of the costs of purely national red tape. The agricultural sector also benefits from the relief for small and medium-sized enterprises and the simplification of EU legislation.