New European Commission Anti-Bureaucracy adviser Edmund Stoiber emphasized that his High Level Expert Group on Administrative Burdens is independent and autonomous from the European Commission when it was launched Monday.

This group was originally conceived earlier this year as a flagship project for the EC designed to reduce bureaucracy in the European Union and cut EC administrative costs by 25 percent over the next four years. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso appointed Stoiber as the chairman of this group due to his past involvement “at the forefront of efforts to improve legislation in Bavaria, Germany, and Europe.”

The whole project was recently brought to a temporary standstill by Stoiber’s demands for more control over how his anti-bureaucracy group would function. Stoiber demanded that he be allowed to report directly to Barroso himself, instead of EC Vice President and Industrial Commissioner Guenter Verheugen. He insisted that his group’s jurisdiction be expanded to cover new legislation as well as old EU laws, and said he required a personal assistant, a team of 10 EC officials, and an increased number of experts to serve on the group panel.

The standstill only lasted a few days. Although Stoiber will have to content himself with the originally mandated 15 experts on the group panel, he got an office at the EC headquarters, two personal assistants, a secretary, and 20 EC support staff members.

Now Stoiber has declared that his group does not operate in “a relation of subordination” to the European Commission. At a press conference, he said that he does not see his role confined to the strict mandate he was originally given by the Commission (EUobserver, November 20).

“At any time I can independently from the mandate make proposals to the Commission president and based on my experience this is what I will do,” Stoiber responded to a journalist who asked about his exact role.

He made it clear that he will make all proposals to the Commission president directly, and the Commission can take his advice or leave it. President Barroso and Industrial Commissioner Verheugen will have little say in how the anti-bureaucracy advising group operates.

Stoiber is known at home in Bavaria for his public outbursts against over-regulation coming from Brussels. When he was appointed chairman of this anti-bureaucracy advising group, he commented, “My belief has always been that Europe has to become people-oriented and less bureaucratic. I’m happy that I can now put that into practice, as citizens and businesses all over Europe will gain a real advantage from the cutting of red tape.” He has now made it clear that over-regulation from Brussels will not dictate how his group goes about advising the EC on how to reduce bureaucracy in the European Union.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has commented, “Stoiber has a vision for Germany, and he plans on taking the EU with him. But where would this vision take Europe? He wants a strong ‘federation’ within the EU. A powerful political government is one of his great passions.”

As Stoiber’s own comments attest, his vision for Europe is one that revolves more around people than bureaucracy. His current job is rather ideal for helping implement this vision. Stoiber’s High Level Expert Group on Administrative Burdens is scheduled to first meet late this year or early next year. Watch to see how Stoiber continues to try to turn his vision into reality.