Tories plan war on EU red tape

The Conservatives promised today to wage a fresh war against European red tape.

Radical plans will give companies new powers to challenge heavy-handed edicts from Brussels. The move is designed to stop the Government from "gold-plating" new European Union directives.

Half of all new laws affecting British businesses come from the EU. But the Tories claim Britain is more prone than other countries to embellish EU laws with additional orders.

Under the Tory proposals, companies will have the legal right to compensation if they can prove new rules go beyond the bare minimum required by Europe.