The European Commission has proposed sweeping amendments to several environmental laws as part of an effort to lighten the regulatory load on businesses and enhance the EU’s economic competitiveness.
Announced on Wednesday, the reforms target six pieces of legislation and could collectively save firms an estimated €1 billion annually. The plans include streamlined environmental impact assessments and faster permit approvals.
Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera said the initiative aims to make regulation “more efficient for businesses” while safeguarding the EU’s environmental and health standards.
The proposal places a strong emphasis on digitalisation, with the Commission arguing that electronic systems will speed up environmental audits and allow analyses to be processed into reusable, openly accessible data.
The reforms would also reduce reporting requirements in several sectors. Farmers and aquaculture operators would be exempt from some obligations, while companies involved in packaging, batteries, electronics, waste and single-use plastic products would no longer need separate national representatives to oversee recycling or waste compliance.
The package will now be examined by the European Parliament and EU governments before any measures can come into force.
The initiative forms part of a broader EU effort to cut bureaucracy. Earlier in the week, member states agreed to dilute the bloc’s supply chain due-diligence law—originally designed to strengthen corporate accountability on human rights—which will now apply only to a limited number of large companies.
