Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, is hosting a high-level Stakeholder Roundtable on simplifying environmental laws in Brussels today (2 October).  

The roundtable will discuss the results of a Call for Evidence on an environmental simplification package that launched on 22 July and ended on 10 September.

The purpose of the consultation was to identify ways to simplify reporting, permitting and reduce administrative burden. It focused on the areas of the circular economy, industrial emissions, waste management and environmental permitting.

Simplifying and improving EU laws will make rules clearer and easier to understand, and faster and cheaper to implement.

More than 190,000 responses were received, including many specific suggestions on how to cut red tape alongside calls to preserve environmental standards and not weaken them.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Commissioner Roswall said:

“This Commission is committed to simplification. Today’s roundtable enables an open discussion with stakeholders to identify key actions to reduce administrative burden.

What we want to achieve is a leaner legal framework that is easier to implement for businesses and public administration, while staying the course on our environmental objectives. This is crucial for our common goal: fostering Europe’s competitiveness while preserving the environment and safeguarding public health.” 

Background

The event brings together a range of business representatives, civil society and think tanks. The Call for Evidence showed that business supports less burdensome regulation that leaves them with flexibility to deliver both growth and sustainable production.  

The objective of the environmental simplification initiative is to make it easier to implement environmental laws while avoiding deregulation. The Commission has therefore announced its intention to table legal proposals to simplify environmental rules and improve the efficiency of permitting procedures, allowing businesses to do more for the environment, but at less cost.  

The simplification of environmental rules follows on from the  Competitiveness Compass, which sets a clear framework for Europe to become the place where future technologies, services, and clean products are invented, manufactured, and put on the market, while being the first continent to become climate neutral.

One way to achieve this will be the simplification of the regulatory environment. The Compass, therefore, sets the target of cutting administrative burden by at least 25% for all companies and at least 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without undermining environmental or social policy goals. 

More information 

Roundtable with stakeholders on environmental omnibus | Commission event page

An EU Compass to regain competitiveness and secure sustainable prosperity | Commission page 

Commission proposes to cut red tape and simplify business environment | Commission page

Simplification of administrative burdens in environmental legislation | Have Your Say page