EU launches ‘simplification’ agenda in effort to keep up with US and China Ursula von der Leyen announces plans to cut red tape and boost innovation in second term as head of European Commission.
In her first major policy announcement since starting a second term as European Commission president last month, Ursula von der Leyen outlined policy proposals intended to boost Europe’s flagging economy.
The EU executive has announced “an unprecedented simplification effort” to cut red tape and boost innovation in an attempt to reverse Europe’s economic decline compared with China and the US.
Von der Leyen said the EU had sometimes imposed “complex” and “partially contradictory” requirements on companies, an apparent reference to laws passed during her own first term.
She promised an “unprecedented simplification effort” that she said would reduce administrative costs for companies by 25%, and by 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises – assuming the commission’s proposals are adopted and followed.
