The government needs to set hard, measurable targets to slash the number of rules and regulations which Dutch companies have to comply with, a consortium of business organisations said on Monday.

A report published by the economic affairs ministry on Friday showed that some 25% of the rules which small companies have to meet are difficult or impossible to comply with and that firms are increasingly looking for outside advice. 

This “regulatory burden” is driving up the cost of compliance to “unacceptable proportions”, the group, which includes the biggest Dutch employers organisation VNO-NCW, says. 

“Rules are being added too, rarely taken away, and that includes directives from Brussels,” the organisations said in a statement. A government advisory committee said in May that the cost of compliance will have risen by €400 million in 2012 alone, while less than €12 million in regulatory costs was removed. 

Reducing the regulatory burden, including by making more exceptions for SMEs and scrapping unworkable rules, is one of the easiest and cheapest things a new cabinet can do to give them some more space, the business organisations say.

“Even the European Commission now has a one in, one out policy and a hard reduction target of scrapping 25% of its reporting requirements,” the lobby groups say. “In the Netherlands, even more is needed.”