Page contents Page contents Overview The European Commission is putting the simplification of EU rules at the heart of its agenda for competitiveness and prosperity. The goal is to support those who create value in Europe and to tell the world that Europe means business, while maintaining our high standards. Why do we need to simplify EU rules? Simple and clear rules are vital to Europe’s businesses and citizens: They help ensure a favourable business environment which allows companies to attract investment, grow and create quality jobs across the EULess administrative burden helps citizens save time and money and improves their quality of life EU businesses of all sizes have highlighted how the regulatory burden is an obstacle to growth. The Commission has heard their call and is acting on it: we have proposed simplification measures that make it easier for businesses to operate across the single market, while ensuring a level playing field and upholding high social and environmental standards. What savings can we expect? at least €15 billion in annual savings€37.5 billion total savings by 2029 Our simplification efforts so far will save businesses, industries, farmers and national authorities around €15 billion in annual administrative costs. These savings are recurring. This means that €15 billion can be invested each year in the economy, redirected from bureaucracy to jobs, innovation and growth.Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit particularly. By reducing the administrative burden by at least 35% for SMEs, simplification helps smaller companies spend less time on bureaucracy and more on developing their business. Across all businesses, we intend to reduce the administrative burden by at least 25%, representing an expected saving of €37.5 billion by 2029. Simplification in action The Commission has presented a series of simplification measures, including 10 omnibus proposals, across multiple sectors. An omnibus proposal is a single legislative proposal that amends multiple EU laws at the same time, usually across the same policy area. This approach ensures that we can progress quickly on our goals. The proposals need to be approved by both the European Parliament and the Council before they are adopted. Some omnibus proposals have already been approved, while others are still under discussion.Below are the simplification measures we have proposed so far, including their expected savings and impact and current status: Sustainability€4.5 billion in savings via simplification of sustainable finance rules€1.2 billion in savings via simplification of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)Simplified and reduced reporting requirements for businesses and exemptions from CBAM rules for 90% of importers Status: proposedInvestments€350 million in savings, of which €324 million in one-off administrative cost savingsSimplified rules will help mobilise around €50 billion in public and private investmentStatus: approved Common agricultural policy (CAP) €1.8 billion in savings for farmers€210 million in savings for administrationsReduced administrative burden for farmers and faster access to funding, especially for smaller farmersStatus: proposedSingle market€380 million in savingsDigitalised and simplified procedures will help 38,000 EU companies growStatus: proposedDefence industry€1.2 billion in savings, of which €710 million in administrative cost savingsFaster permit granting to simplify purchases and help EU countries to rapidly respond to threatsStatus: proposed Chemicals€290 million in savingsSimplified labelling rules and registration procedures will reduce administrative burden while maintaining high safety and environmental standardsStatus: proposedArtificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data €1.2 billion in savingsSimplified rules will reduce administrative burden and support innovation while maintaining strong privacy protectionStatus: approvedEnvironmental legislation€1 billion in savings, including €890 million in annual savingsSimplified environmental assessments and reporting will speed up permit granting and reduce administrative burden for industry and farmers Status: proposed Medical devices €3.3 billion in annual savings, including €2.4 billion in administrative savingsEasier procedures will bring products to market faster, supporting both companies and patientsStatus: proposed Automotive industry€51 million in savingsSimplified technical requirements and testing procedures will improve legal clarity and reduce costs for manufacturersStatus: proposed Food and feed€939 million in savingsSimplified rules will reduce administrative burden and costs while maintaining very high safety and sustainability standardsStatus: proposed More information on these simplification measures Next steps We will continue working with the European Parliament, Member States and other stakeholders to further simplify EU rules.In 2026, additional simplification packages are planned, targeting key areas such as energy products, taxation and citizens. These initiatives are intended to further harmonise rules, simplify reporting obligations, and lower administrative costs for businesses and public authorities. We will track the real-world impact of our measures to ensure that simplification delivers real benefits for businesses and citizens while maintaining high standards. Related links Competitiveness 2024-2029: implementation tracker Quality of life 2024-2029: implementation tracker Competitiveness compassCommission work programme This page was last updated on 25 February 2026
