European Committee of the Regions backs drive to streamline EU law-making, saying regional and local involvement would improve the quality and speed of legislation.
"Europe stands at a crossroads. While we debate and delay, the world moves forward at breakneck speed — in AI, in global markets, in geopolitical influence. If we don't act now, we risk becoming spectators in a future written by others. That’s why we need a Europe that is simpler, faster, and smarter — one that cuts through complexity, empowers cities and regions, and clears the path for innovation. Simplification isn’t about lowering standards — it’s about delivering results. It’s about building a Union that’s agile enough to lead, not just keep up. And that starts with us — today, not tomorrow." Jelena Drenjanin (SE/EPP), Member of Huddinge Municipality Council and CoR Rapporteur-General on “A Simpler and Faster Europe” made these remarks with speaking during a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
The policy recommendations on the Simpler and Faster Europe initiative were adopted after a fast-track process. Through this opinion, local and regional leaders have given their backing to the European Commission’s drive to simplify EU legislation — highlighting the urgent need to cut red tape, boost competitiveness, and enable more agile responses to crises.
The opinion emphasises the importance of involving local and regional authorities both before and after legislation is adopted. This approach aims to reduce bureaucracy and ensure that EU laws support entrepreneurship, protect citizens, and work effectively on the ground. "Simplification is not about lowering standards. It's about making sure we can deliver on democracy, sustainability and prosperity without drowning in red tape. It's about making European Union rules clear, practical, but also future-proof." stressed Drenjanin.
The CoR has warned that excessive bureaucracy is currently hindering local investment, job creation, and rapid crisis response. It argues that swift and effective assessments of the impact of EU legislation are essential to improving policy outcomes.
The opinion calls for early involvement of cities and regions in the scrutiny of draft legislation and encourages broader use of better regulation and subsidiarity tools — including the CoR’s territorial impact assessments, rural proofing, strategic foresight, and regional monitoring network (RegHub). These instruments would help ensure that EU policies are simpler, more practical, and easier to implement.
The European Commission’s simplification agenda is based on four pillars: improving implementation, simplifying and accelerating processes, enhancing rule-making, and fostering partnerships.
A majority of EU legislation requires action by local and regional governments. This reality underpins the European Committee of the Regions’ demand for the EU to systematically integrate local and regional perspectives into both the development and review of laws.
Quotes by EPP-CoR Members
Francisca Ramis Pons, Director General for Institutional Relations and Relations with the Parliament, Balearic Islands Government: “In the region of the Balearic Islands, we fully understand the vital role administrative simplification plays in the effective functioning of our economy and society. To achieve meaningful progress, we believe action is needed in key areas: First, we must simplify procedures. That means shifting from a prior-authorization model to one based on responsible declarations — backed by a rigorous system of post-approval controls. Second, simplification must go hand in hand with economic liberalisation — especially tailored to support small and medium-sized enterprises. We need a simpler and faster Europe — one that promotes administrative simplification, eases economic activity for SMEs, and ensures greater legal certainty through streamlined and consolidated regulation.”
Isabel Urrutia de los Mozos, Minister of the Presidency, Justice, Security and Administrative Simplification, Government of Cantabria: “We need the European Union to act in a simpler, faster, and more balanced way — creating more efficient regulation without adding new administrative burdens that hinder business activity, job creation, and territorial development.”
Thomas Schmidt, Member of the Saxon State Parliament: “We as the Committee of the Regions must particularly focus on the regional level. While the first level is Brussels, we must help regions implement what is planned there.”
Pablo Gustavo Broseta Dupré, Vice-Minister for Representation to the European Union and the Spanish Autonomous Regions, Government of the Region of Valencia: “Reducing red tape will allow us to become more agile when it comes to access to funding. In my region, we have been pioneering a revision of the legal framework and supporting developments in IT in order to create a simpler Europe. Valencia agrees with the importance of technology and cybersecurity in hospitals. Therefore, it is important to continue developing and strengthening these kinds of technologies — with citizens as the ultimate beneficiaries.”
Karin Müller, State Secretary for European and International Affairs and De-bureaucratisation, with political accountability to the Parliament of the State of Hesse: “We need clear and simpler rules in Europe, and we need to ensure the trust of our citizens by removing administrative obstacles.”
Background:
Opinion factsheet: 'A simpler and faster Europe' by rapporteur-general Jelena Drenjanin (SE/EPP), member of Huddinge Municipality Council.
European Commission factsheet: 'A simpler and faster Europe.'
European Commission communication: 'A simpler and faster Europe: Communication on implementation and simplification.'