Brussels:Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have jointly proposed an "emergency brake" on European Union bureaucracy. This measure aims to reduce administrative burdens on businesses and enhance the competitiveness of the bloc.
According to Emirates News Agency, the proposal was detailed in a letter to European Council President António Costa ahead of the upcoming EU summit on October 15th-16th in Brussels. The leaders suggested a mechanism that would allow the European Council to step in as a last resort to halt or suspend new legislation that is considered excessively burdensome.
The letter emphasized the need for compliance and oversight requirements to be proportionate to the risks and expected benefits. However, it did not elaborate on the operation of the proposed mechanism or who would have the authority to activate it.
The proposal is anticipated to spark discussions at the summit, highlighting the divide between countries advocating for reduced regulatory burdens and those focused on maintaining EU standards.
In addition to the "emergency brake" proposal, the leaders advocated for structural reforms to expedite planning and permitting processes for investments in key strategic sectors such as energy, decarbonization, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and defense. They suggested a "priority rule" that could temporarily suspend certain regulations to facilitate strategic investments and protect Europe's industrial capacity, investment, and competitiveness.
The leaders also urged the EU to lessen reporting requirements, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to reverse the burden of proof, requiring the necessity of any reporting obligation to be demonstrated before imposition.
The summit will also assess the progress of the "One Europe, One Market" roadmap, adopted in the spring, which aims to strengthen the single market. Additionally, discussions will cover high energy prices impacting European industry and the macroeconomic imbalances between the EU and China.