Three EU countries demand the right to an “emergency brake” to block new laws - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
The leaders of three countries called for permission to block burdensome EU laws. They also propose speeding up approval processes and reducing bureaucracy.
The leaders of Germany, Italy and Belgium called on the EU to introduce a mechanism for blocking new legislation if it places an excessive burden on governments and businesses, in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy. Politico reports, UNN writes.
Details
In a letter addressed to European Council President António Costa, obtained by the publication, the three leaders said that the European Union needs an “emergency brake” mechanism to help boost the competitiveness of Europe’s weakening economy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also called for “a substantial acceleration of planning and approval procedures,” as well as the suspension, for a specified period, of “certain regulatory provisions” במסגרת a new “priority rule.”
“We call for further ambitious simplification packages to decisively advance the reduction of bureaucratic red tape in the European Union,” they wrote, adding that the European Commission should “first and foremost” reduce the burden on small and medium-sized businesses.
“More broadly, our common goal should be to prevent situations in which unnecessary regulatory requirements and the costs associated with them lead to an irreversible loss of Europe’s industrial capacity and further weaken investment and competitiveness,” the letter says.
The appeal came several days before the EU leaders’ meeting. It reiterates demands first voiced in March after the summit devoted to Europe’s competitiveness and comes amid a worsening situation in the EU’s industrial sector.
On Thursday in Brussels, the leaders will gather for a two-day European Council summit, during which they will discuss the EU’s long-term budget, energy prices and support for Ukraine.