Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis on plans for simpler, clearer and better enforced EU rules

European and national rules play a crucial role in creating the conditions for a competitive, innovative and sustainable social market economy.

Since we took office, we have delivered an implementation and simplification agenda that is unprecedented in both scale and ambition, with those goals in mind.

And today's Communication is another key step forward.

It sets out an ambitious strategy to modernise how EU rules are designed, implemented and enforced.

Because we cannot carry on with business as usual.

We can and must do better.

Brussels must deliver results, not just rules.

The way forward is based on concrete actions under five pillars set out in the Communication:

Firstly, ‘simplicity by design'.

Because it's always best to begin on the right footing, rather than having to change course later.

Our legislative activity must focus on areas where action is really needed and can make a real difference.

We are aiming at leaner, clearer, and easier to implement rules, with realistic implementation deadlines.

It should be crystal clear who must act, how to comply, and the consequences of non-compliance.

We will also seek to make EU rules innovation- and SME-friendly; and pursue full harmonisation where needed to achieve a genuine Single Market with no national barriers.

We will work with the Parliament and the Council to make these principles a reality.

Secondly, strengthening the EU's better regulation system.  

It is already recognised as one of the very best systems internationally.

But we can do even better.

Our next steps will enhance transparency, stakeholder engagement and efficiency.

A broader range of legislative initiatives will be accompanied by more pertinent impact assessments.    

We are also setting out a more thorough pathway for urgent initiatives to help ensure their timely delivery, underpinned by robust analysis.

We will optimise how we use consultation tools to seek diverse views and inputs.

And we are asking the Parliament and the Council to also respect better regulation principles and assess the impact of their substantial legislative amendments.

Thirdly, a regulatory deep cleaning.

A bold new Action Plan on Regulatory Deep Cleaning will bring order into the stock of EU laws that have accumulated over time.

It will tackle fragmented rules, inconsistencies and overlapping provisions, and reduce complexity.

These have hindered our competitiveness and innovation for too long.

It's time to fix that.  

We will prioritise reviewing 12 areas in 2026 and 2027 – ranging, from the free movement of goods and services to housing and permitting, to give some examples.  

The Action Plan will result in legislative or other measures that will increase the coherence and simplicity of EU laws.

Fourthly, gold-plating.

This is where Member States add stricter or wider rules than required by EU legislation.  

Gold-plating creates barriers, raises costs and fragments the Single Market.

We need to detect and correct it.

Because more is not always better.

To do so, we will engage with Member States by providing best practices and guidance for the transposition and implementation of EU law.

We will also step up enforcement in instances where gold-plating that are contrary to EU law.

Fifth and finally, faster and more robust enforcement.

Because EU rules only deliver their intended benefits for our people and businesses when Member States implement them correctly and on time.

This Communication sets out a revamped enforcement approach, based on faster procedures, more automaticity, higher dissuasive penalties and a focus on reducing long-standing cases across all areas of EU law.

We are also stepping up our work on enforcing the Single Market rulebook in particular – with 11 focus areas.

Resolving those will remove barriers to the free movement of goods and services and the freedom of establishment of businesses.

To conclude,

In today's unpredictable and challenging world, Europe must play to its strengths and sharpen its competitive edge.

Taken together, these actions mark a new level of ambition in the quality of EU lawmaking.

We are also determined to continue delivering on our ambitious implementation and simplification agenda.

Our ‘regulatory deep cleaning' will come on top of the simplification proposals already foreseen for this year in areas such as energy products, taxation and citizens' rights.

I will stop here.

I look forward to your questions.

Thank you.