A government-commissioned task force has proposed a number of recommendations to cut EU red tape, including scrapping requirements for all small businesses to keep health and safety risks assessments.

The task force, comprising six business leaders appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron, made 20 recommendations after consulting over 100 business voices across Europe.

Its ‘Cut EU red tape’ report sets out how the EU could promote enterprise and boost growth by sweeping away “poorly understood and burdensome rules”.

Other proposals include fast-tracking measures to set a maximum cap on the fees that could be applied to card, internet and mobile payments in order to reduce costs for retailers, and reforming employment law where it prevents firms from creating jobs.

Welcoming the report, David Cameron said: “Business people, particularly owners of small firms, are forced to spend too much time complying with pointless, burdensome and costly regulations and that means less time developing a new product, winning contracts or hiring young recruits.

“I’m determined to change that and to get the EU working for business, not against it.”

The task force included M&S chief executive Marc Bolland, former Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh, and Kingfisher CEO Ian Cheshire.