It says it wants to reduce the burden of European Union paperwork for companies by 25 percent by 2012. But it has stopped short of promising national bureaucracy will be similarly reduced.

According to industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen, between 50 percent and 60 percent of administrative costs arise at national level.

Pig producers burdened with high IPPC costs imposed by the Environment Agency - in order to fulfill the requirements of European law - might view the commissioner’s claim as disingenuous.

That said, if the Commission is successful in cutting red-take at European level it will lead to a 1.5-percent increase in gross domestic product.

And Austria and Sweden are entering into the spirit of the strategy by promising to reduce national administrative charges by 25 percent by 2010. However most other countries are calling for caution.