Austria leads 13 EU states in call for regulatory pause

EU deregulation bureaucracy reduction European Commission legislative moratorium economic competitiveness

A group of 13 EU member states, led by Austria, has issued a non-paper calling for a systematic review of existing European regulations to reduce administrative burdens and boost economic competitiveness. The initiative, which includes countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, proposes a 12-month moratorium on new legislation. This period, described by Austrian European Affairs Minister Claudia Bauer as a “year of simplification,” would focus on a “deep cleaning” of the current regulatory landscape.

During this proposed consolidation year, member states advocate for reviewing existing laws sector by sector to determine if they remain necessary, require updates, or create burdens without adding value. The group also demands that new EU laws undergo rigorous impact assessments regarding their effect on competitiveness and should only be introduced when national solutions are insufficient.

The initiative aims to establish a permanent network of countries dedicated to simplifying regulations at both national and European levels. While the European Commission has already introduced “omnibus packages” to streamline rules ranging from AI to climate, the signatory states argue that these efforts must be preceded by regulatory restraint to prevent the accumulation of redundant requirements.

Entities

Austria · Claudia Bauer · European Commission · European People's Party · European Union · Ursula von der Leyen

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 9 SOURCES] 13 EU member states, led by Austria, have signed a non-paper calling for a systematic review of existing regulations. 352newsonline.substack.com · prv.mk · liberal.hr · www.balkanweb.com · de.euronews.com · +4 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The proposal suggests that new EU rules should only be introduced where national solutions are insufficient. 352newsonline.substack.com · www.expats.cz
[● 6 SOURCES] The group calls for a systematic impact assessment of all new EU laws on competitiveness. 352newsonline.substack.com · de.euronews.com · liberal.hr · www.expats.cz · www.balkanweb.com · +1 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The initiative aligns with the European Commission's agenda to reduce bureaucracy under Ursula von der Leyen. 352newsonline.substack.com · www.tportal.hr · liberal.hr · www.balkanweb.com · de.euronews.com
[● 8 SOURCES] The initiative aims to improve economic competitiveness and reduce administrative burdens. 352newsonline.substack.com · prv.mk · de.euronews.com · www.tportal.hr · liberal.hr · +3 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The initiative seeks to establish a permanent network of countries dedicated to simplifying regulations. 352newsonline.substack.com · www.tportal.hr · prv.mk · liberal.hr · www.balkanweb.com · +1 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The group proposes a 12-month moratorium on new legislation to focus on a consolidation year. prv.mk · makpress.mk · www.bild.de · dagens.de · www.expats.cz · +2 more
[● 8 SOURCES] Signatory countries include Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and Slovakia. 352newsonline.substack.com · prv.mk · liberal.hr · www.balkanweb.com · de.euronews.com · +3 more