Honourable Chair, Honourable Members of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to join you today.
Under the new mandate of the European Commission, I am responsible for simplifying the work agenda.
Today, I wish to explain our work programme and the first proposals.
The world is changing rapidly, and Europe must adapt.
Our freedoms and values can no longer be taken for granted.
To remain competitive, the EU must strengthen its economic base through adaptation and innovation.
If we fail to act now, we risk our quality of life and freedom.
Therefore, the focus is on enhancing competitiveness.
Reducing bureaucracy is essential.
The past five years saw significant regulatory activity.
This has led to a growing burden on businesses.
Today, 60% of EU companies see regulation as a barrier.
Our rules must help achieve goals, not hinder them.
We have set ambitious targets to reduce administrative costs.
How will we implement this agenda?
The Competitiveness Compass is our strategic roadmap.
The work programme includes 18 legislative initiatives, 11 focused on simplification.
The main proposals for 2025 are:
- A proposal for sustainability reporting.
- Simplification of investments.
- A digital package for reporting.
Our strategy for the next five years is called A simpler and faster Europe.
This includes four building blocks:
- EU policies delivering results,
- Making Europe simpler and faster,
- Improving new rules,
- Working with co-legislators.
Simplification requires collaboration with Member States and EU institutions.
With the EESCs help, we hope to implement changes that make a real difference.
Our proposals show that simpler rules can go hand in hand with better regulation.
This is just the start.
Our efforts will continue throughout the entire mandate.
I look forward to our exchange.
Thank you.