How can the flood of forms in the EU be stopped?
© DIHK / AI generated
The constant stream of new laws, reporting requirements, regulations, forms, and applications prevents businesses in the EU from focusing on their core activities. The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) presents very concrete approaches to provide relief.
Bureaucracy slows down the German Economy. This was confirmed in mid-2024 by 95 percent of companies surveyed in the DIHK Business Barometer for the EU election. For them, reducing bureaucracy is the top priority to increase the competitiveness of Europe as a business location.
Volker Treier
© DIHK / Werner Schuering
Against this backdrop, the DIHK has compiled more than 50 proposals in a paper aimed at reducing bureaucratic burdens in EU legislation. "The economy urgently needs positive impulses," says Volker Treier, DIHK's Head of Foreign Trade, at the presentation of these proposals on November 6 in Brussels. "Reducing bureaucracy is a crucial lever here. The EU's announcements must now be followed by action. The DIHK therefore highlights concrete initial approaches for relief."
Kirsten Schoder-Steinmueller
© DIHK / Nils Hasenau
DIHK Vice President Kirsten Schoder-Steinmüller, an entrepreneur in the metalworking industry, is well acquainted with these issues firsthand: "Bureaucratic reduction must finally be tackled in a way that actually benefits companies!" she appeals.
"My daily work is now dominated by checking, filling out, filing, and reporting," the DIHK Vice President criticizes. "Extensive reporting and documentation requirements, in particular, cost me and my employees valuable resources that are needed elsewhere. Every euro spent on meeting reporting obligations is a euro not available for investment or innovation."
While the EU Commission has launched an initiative to reduce existing reporting obligations, new requirements are constantly emerging for companies—through laws still under negotiation, such as the "Green Claims" Directive, or through the implementation of already adopted laws. Once again, the DIHK presents over 50 proposals for reducing current and preventing future EU bureaucracy to concretely lessen the burden.
"The expectations of the business sector are high," Schoder-Steinmüller explains. "We need a completely new approach to consistently set the course for efficiency and simplification in legislation. The EU should lead by example so that all other administrative levels follow suit. Only then can meaningful change take place."
You can download the new DIHK proposals here:
DIHK-Proposals for reduction of EU regulatory burden (PDF, 977 KB)
