Three EU countries seek mechanism to halt new laws — Politico Europe

Ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, the leaders of Germany, Italy and Belgium proposed giving EU countries the ability to halt new legislative initiatives from Brussels if they create an excessive burden on governments and businesses. Politico Europe reports.

Proposal by three leaders

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever set out their proposals in a letter to European Council President António Costa. According to the letter’s authors, the “emergency brake” mechanism should help strengthen the European Union’s economic competitiveness.

They also called for a substantial acceleration of planning and approval procedures. Separately, the leaders propose suspending certain regulatory areas for a specified period under a new priority rule.

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Less regulatory burden

The letter stresses the need for new ambitious simplification packages aimed at reducing bureaucratic procedures in the EU. In the view of the three heads of government, the European Commission should first and foremost reduce the burden on small and medium-sized enterprises.

The authors of the appeal stated that excessive regulatory requirements and the associated costs should not lead to a permanent loss of Europe’s industrial capacity, weaker investment and competitiveness. At the European Council summit, which will begin in Brussels on Thursday and last two days, leaders will also discuss the EU’s long-term budget, energy prices and support for Ukraine.