EU simplification efforts must deliver tangible results for businesses

Commenting on the publication of the Commission’s Work Programme and Simplification Report today, BusinessEurope stressed that the EU’s simplification efforts have yet to translate into tangible benefits for businesses on the ground. BusinessEurope President Maciej Witucki said:

“The Commission must significantly step up its efforts to cut existing regulatory burdens and prevent new ones from emerging. An immediate moratorium on new burdens, including those arising from secondary legislation, is long overdue.

At the same time, the Commission has shown leadership in putting simplification on the agenda, including through the withdrawal of burdensome proposals on late payment and green claims in its 2027 Work Programme, which BusinessEurope has long asked for. However, it should go further in acting on the concrete recommendations put forward by businesses, including the 138 proposals set out in our Omnibook.

Restoring Europe’s competitiveness requires more than promises to simplify, and the Commission cannot deliver alone. The European Parliament and Council must equally make measurable reductions in the burdens a priority. This means moving beyond cosmetic simplification and pursuing deregulation where it is required by a proportionality assessment. Europe needs a regulatory framework that enables businesses to invest, innovate and grow, and not one that holds them back.”