To make future regulation fit with the ”Think Small First” principle, the Commission: is strengthening the assessment of the respect of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in forthcoming legislative and administrative initiatives will, wherever practical, use common commencement dates for regulations and decisions affecting business and publish an annual statement of such legislation entering into force the Commission will, and the Member States are invited to: ensure that policy results are delivered while minimising costs and burdens for business, including by using a smart mix of tools ...[+++] such as mutual recognition and self- or co-regulation, to achieve policy outcomes rigorously assess the impact of forthcoming legislative and administrative initiatives on SMEs (“SME test”) and take relevant results into account when designing proposals consult stakeholders, including SME organisations for at least 8 weeks prior to making any legislative or administrative proposal that has an impact on businesses use specific measures for small and micro-enterprises, such as derogations, transition periods and exemptions, in particular from information or reporting requirements, and other tailor-made approaches, wherever appropriate, and the Member States are invited to: consider the usefulness of introducing common commencement dates and annual statements of legislation entering into force make use of flexibility provisions aimed at SMEs when implementing EU legislation and avoid “gold-plating” To improve the regulatory environment in view of the “Think Small First” principle, the Commission: will come forward with all the proposals to reduce the administrative burden on business which are necessary to achieve the EU reduction target of 25% by 2012 will complete by the end of 2008 a complete screening of the acquis and include the results in the updated simplification rolling programme to be presented in early 2009.

The purpose of the Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union is to facilitate coordination and relay to the public the judicial decisions of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions with regard to Community law and to facilitate the pooling of methods of transposing and implementing European law at national level.

Initiatives including Dialogue with Citizens and Business [37], and the portal of the EU administration [38], will form the basis for the future Your Europe portal, providing access to a wide range of information and services from EU and national administrations.

A Community framework is therefore necessary for improving mutual understanding between the competent national agencies and the way they implement the relevant Community legislation, and for defining the priority areas of administrative cooperation required.

1. The Administration of Trade Marks and Legal Division provided for by Article 128 of the Regulation on the Community trade mark shall become the Administration of Trade Marks and Designs and Legal Division.

(7) Whereas the difference in levels of protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, notably the right to privacy, with regard to the processing of personal data afforded in the Member States may prevent the transmission of such data from the territory of one Member State to that of another Member State; whereas this difference may therefore constitute an obstacle to the pursuit of a number of economic activities at Community level, distort competition and impede authorities in the discharge of their responsibilities under Community law; whereas this difference in levels of protection is due to the existence of a wide variety of national laws, regulations and administrative ...[+++] provisions;