Speech by Commissioner Dombrovskis presenting report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement at CEPS

Dombrovskis presenting report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement at CEPS

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a pleasure to return to CEPS.

Let me start with a clear message: EU rules must be simpler to comply with, easier to implement and more consistently enforced.

That is why simplification, implementation and enforcement sit at the heart of this Commission's competitiveness agenda.

Because excessive complexity is a tax Europe can no longer afford to pay.

And simplicity is an investment whose returns can compound, day after day, year after year.

That conviction has guided my work as Commissioner for implementation and simplification.

And the report I am presenting to you today takes stock of another year of action to achieve those goals.

It tells a clear story.

How the Commission has shifted its focus.

Becoming more disciplined when writing new rules.

And more focused on the results they deliver on the ground.

Let me take you through how that shift is reflected in our second Overview Report on simplification, implementation and enforcement.

First, to simplification.

Rules work best when they are easy to understand, apply and enforce.

Since the start of the mandate, the Commission has proposed 12 Omnibus packages and other simplification initiatives.

Their estimated annual recurring administrative savings exceed EUR 22 billion, including EUR 7.7 billion for small and medium-sized enterprises.

That translates into an almost 60% of the target reduction we set at the beginning of the mandate.

The progress is clear, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

It is a ‘whole-of-College' effort that should cover all policy areas, under the direction of the Commission President. No stone should be left unturned.

But it is clear that proposals are only the first step.

For this change to be felt on the ground, ambition and speed must be kept throughout the legislative process.

Several proposals have already entered into force or have been agreed politically by the co-legislators.

This includes the first six omnibus packages, as well as parts of the food and feed safety omnibus and the digital omnibus.

Their impact will soon be felt across Europe: reducing administrative burdens for citizens, businesses and public authorities, while safeguarding policy objectives and maintaining high standards of protection.

Our priority now is to turn the remaining proposals into adopted legislation.

We cannot deliver simplification alone - it requires constant political attention.

That is why we are counting on our co-legislators to make swift progress and retain a high level of ambition, in line with the ‘One Europe, One Market' roadmap.

Looking ahead, we are also tackling complexity in the existing rulebook through our Action Plan on regulatory deep cleaning.

The 2027 Commission work programme adopted yesterday reflects and reinforces this strategic direction.

Priority areas for work on simplification will include banking, transport, housing and digital rules, as well as the acceleration of permitting procedures.

Overall, 10 out of the 23 initiatives in the work programme come with a strong simplification dimension, showcasing our ambition.

At the same time, we will continue our stress-testing efforts, extending them to the entire EU acquis by the end of the mandate.

This will pave the way for additional concrete proposals to address inconsistencies, duplications and regulatory fragmentation – including through the simplification, codification, or repeal of existing legislation.

Beyond the existing stock of rules, we are also working to improve the quality of new legislation.

More proposals will now come with impact assessments based on high-quality evidence.

And we will apply “simplicity by design” throughout the policy cycle: from design to application, monitoring and enforcement.

Our aim is for new legislative proposals to avoid complexity and fragmentation from the outset.

As Andrea was rightfully saying, we do not have an easy ‘undo' button, so it is better to do things right from the beginning.

New internal processes now ensure that this approach becomes embedded in the preparation of new legislation.

But simplicity by design does not end when the Commission adopts a proposal.

The European Parliament and the Council also have an essential role to play in preserving better regulation principles and embedding them throughout the legislative cycle.

This includes upholding “simplify by design” and assessing the impact of substantial amendments.

Because Better Regulation cannot be a task for the Commission alone.

It can only deliver its intended results if it becomes an integral part of the working methods of all EU institutions.

Second, on implementation.

Legislation only delivers when it works on the ground.

That requires guidance, practical help and sustained support for Member States, businesses and everyone affected by EU rules and policies.

The report gives practical examples, such as:

Actively helping startups and SMEs to access advanced laboratories, pilot lines and large scientific instruments.

200 meetings held to help Member States speed up their national plans for defence readiness under SAFE.

Or providing guidance and technical assistance for Member States to phase-out of Russian energy imports.

And we are listening to stakeholders more than ever.

During the reporting period, around 1,000 stakeholders from all Member States took part in 49 implementation dialogues.

This high-level consultation tool, launched at the start of this mandate, allows Commissioners to interact with a broad set of stakeholders sitting together around the same table.

Their feedback helps us spot implementation obstacles early, and design more workable rules and support measures.

They complement our other consultations tools, and involve companies, administrations, social partners and civil society.

This brings me to another important point: the role of national, regional and local authorities in applying EU law.

Simplification and implementation efforts must be preserved during national transposition and application.

The gold-plating of EU rules by Member States is a problem that raises compliance costs and fragments the Single Market.

That is why we have called for a Pact against gold-plating involving Member States, European Parliament and Council.

The aim is to cut unnecessary burdens without weakening the objectives of EU law; safeguarding rights and protections.

And finally, on enforcement.

Even the best rules fail to achieve their intended impact when implementation is fragmented, delayed, or inconsistent across Member States.

When EU law is breached, the Commission must act and has several different tools at its disposal.

During the reporting period, we opened 332 pre-infringement dialogues, with a resolution rate of 74%.

We also launched 874 formal infringement procedures, the highest number in ten years.

And we referred 61 cases to the Court of Justice, while requesting financial sanctions in 25 cases.

The clearest measure of success is compliance.

We closed 499 infringement procedures because Member States brought their rules into line with EU law.

92% of those closures came without a referral to the Court.

And 18% had been open for more than five years, which shows progress on long-standing issues.

Cooperative approaches typically result is swifter compliance, but we do not hesitate to use litigation when cooperation fails.

Our goal is a Single Market that works fairly across the entire Union, with fundamental freedoms and rights fully upheld.

Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude.

Simplification, implementation, and enforcement form a virtuous circle.

By removing bottlenecks and streamlining processes, the EU is enhancing the effectiveness of its policies.

This helps create a more resilient, dynamic and innovative economy, better able to deliver on our economic, social and environmental objectives in an increasingly challenging world.

This second annual Overview Report shows the progress we have made, and the work still ahead.

Now we must sustain the momentum.

As I mentioned earlier, the 2027 Commission Work Programme sets out the concrete next steps.

It reaffirms the Commission's determination to see this project through to completion.

Because people and businesses must be able to trust that Europe does deliver on its commitments.

This requires focusing on results – on what EU rules and policies actually deliver in practice.

That, in essence, is our commitment and our agenda.

I will stop here.

I look forward to our exchange.

Thank you.