BRUSSELS — Some of the European Union’s thorniest draft legislation faces being revised or dropped as part of a new internal assessment to slash red tape.
Departments across the European Commission have been asked to compile a list of files that have been under negotiation for more than two years and provide recommendations on whether to withdraw or revise them, according to two officials who were granted anonymity to speak to POLITICO about the closed-door process.
The order originates from the powerful Secretariat General, a team of public servants responsible for organizing policy work across the Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters, which reports directly to President Ursula von der Leyen. It’s part of the preparations for the executive’s work program for 2026, due to be presented later this year.
Files will be reviewed to determine whether they still align with von der Leyen’s priorities and have any chance of being approved through the negotiation process between institutions, one of the officials explained.
The Commission has been focused on cutting and reworking EU red tape to reduce the regulatory burden on companies in an effort to better compete with the U.S., China and other world regions.
Von der Leyen has targeted environmental policies, banking rules, tech laws and more as part of her “simplification” agenda.
The Commission has similarly launched a review of the structures of its departments to create a “modern, efficient public administration to deliver on our political priorities,” with the results due to be presented next year, POLITICO reported last week.
This story has been updated.