UK: BERR business plan for 2008-2011 published

The UK's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has published its business plan for 2008-2011. One of BERR's strategic objectives is "free and fair markets" and in this regard a number of specific proposals are made including:

• Implement the EU Services Directive by the end of 2009, to make it easier for service providers to set up business, or provide services, in another Member State
• Implement the Companies Act 2006 by October 2009, to ensure that company law reflects the modern business world
• Reduce the administrative burdens of regulations imposed by BERR, mainly from employment, company and consumer law, by 25% by May 2010 

In one important respect the business plan is disappointing: there is little discussion of the concepts of the free and fair market. What does fairness mean in this context?

Further information is available here:

Directive 2006/123/EC (the Services Directive) | BERR Services Directive implementation information | BERR business plan |