Simplification, implementation and enforcement

Working towards a simpler and faster Europe

Speed, coherence, and simplification are key political priorities in everything the Commission does. The Commission’s 2024-2029 political guidelines underline how simplifying EU policies and laws, and ensuring they are implemented better, is essential to make business easier and faster in Europe. Those efforts also lay at the heart of the Commission’s focus to strengthen European competitiveness.

In 2025, the Commission presented the Simpler and Faster Europe communication, setting out an approach to boost prosperity and resilience and unleash new opportunities, innovation and growth.

Building on this, the Commission put forward a Simpler, Clearer and Better Enforced EU Rulebook in 2026. This communication introduces measures to modernise how EU laws are designed, implemented and enforced, while ensuring they are clear, agile, and fit for purpose.

The Commission’s work in this area is structured across three key core pillars:

Simplifying EU rules

The Commission is dedicated to strengthening EU competitiveness and growth while upholding high standards and achieving economic, social, and environmental goals. 

To achieve this, it aims to streamline rules andreduce the administrative burden for businesses by 25% and for SMEs by 35% by the end of this mandate, translating to €37.5 billion in reduced administrative costs. 

To this end, it has introduced omnibus proposals and other legislative initiatives with a significant simplification dimension.

Find out more about the Commission’s simplification efforts

Ensuring EU policies are implemented better

Over the past years, the EU has tackled challenges head-on, agreeing rapidly on ambitious policies that respond to the multiple and complex crises and events happening inside and outside our continent. Europe’s success depends on the effective implementation of all policies.

Shortcomings in implementing EU policies and laws can seriously affect the effectiveness of these policies, and in turn the EU’s prosperity and competitiveness. They can also undermine the EU’s ability to defend its values.

As a result, people and businesses do not enjoy the full benefits of EU policies, and companies often face significant challenges in overcoming regulatory obstacles, Single Market fragmentation and administrative burdens.

The Commission works closely with Member States to help them implement EU law and policies, using a wide array of tools ranging from meetings-based tools to technical and financial support, and including guidance, workshops, implementation strategies, trainings, etc. 

Find out more about the Commission is ensuring better implementation

Enforcing EU law

Infringement procedures are necessary legal tools that the Commission uses when cooperation has failed, and Member States do not implement EU law. They are accompanied by a clear communication explaining the reasoning. 

As guardian of the treaties, the Commission pursues a resolute enforcement action  to ensure that laws are implemented in order to fight fragmentation of the Single Market and any unlawful gold plating. When enforcing EU law, the Commission prioritises breaches that have the most significant impact on Europeans. 

The Commission publishes information on its enforcement activities and Member State’s compliance with EU law through interactive maps and customisable graphs. Information about Commission decisions on infringements is also available online.

Annual cycle

Every year, the Commission follows a structured cycle to review how EU law is implemented and enforced and identify opportunities for simplification.

Through regular reporting and exchanges with stakeholders and other EU institutions, this cycle ensures accountability and helps translate key findings into concrete measures for the next Commission work programme.

The annual cycle is organised around the following key steps: