The debate about the type and extent of regulation we need in the EU is an important one - important enough that we should be careful to avoid scoring cheap party-political points, or over-simplifying arguments for rhetorical effect. We can get regulation right or wrong; it can be good or bad, restrictive or liberating - at European level just as at national or local level.
Eurosceptics portray EU-level legislation as Brussels bureacrats imposing burdens on businesses. This is wrong on two counts.
First, the bureaucrats: in fact, the "bureaucrats" (by which eurosceptics normally mean the Commission) do not decide on EU laws - they merely propose them. European legislation has to be approved by both the Council and, usually, the Parliament. The Council consists of national ministers from each member state, members of their national governments. They are not people with a vested interest in limiting their own margin of manoeuvre through commonly-agreed rules. No European legislation can adopted without the agreement of a hefty majority of them of its necessity (even a qualified majority is well over two-thirds of the votes). European legislation is simply not adopted against the will of the member states.
Second, the burden: When we get it right, European legislation is an exercise in cutting red tape. One patent instead of twenty-five; one trademark and registration form and fee instead of twenty-five; a single administrative document for our lorries at frontiers instead of the forty-something there used to be. A single set of standards for the single market instead of having to adapt production lines to 25 slightly divergent ones.
Of course, as at every level of governance, mistakes can be made. The response should be to correct them. The idea that, because you don't like a particular policy, Britain (for example) should withdraw from the EU is as silly as saying that Yorkshire should withdraw from the UK if you don't like the Education bill.
It is important to look at the big picture. The total economic benefits to European citizens of the existence of the European common market, created by having common regulations for that market in many fields, is (according to pre-enlargement studies in 2002) some extra €164.5billion to our collective GDP - approaching €2000 per family per year.
Let's unite on getting EU regulations right. Focus on the reality, not the theology - and certainly not the fantasy conjured up by eurosceptics.