Czechia joins push to pause new EU rules for a year

Czechia has joined 12 other EU countries in calling for a year focused on simplifying the bloc’s rules and limiting new legislation. For Czech businesses, the proposal raises the prospect of fewer new reporting and compliance demands, though it has no immediate effect on rules they must follow.

Austria led the initiative, which is set out in an informal policy document signed by Czechia, Germany, Poland and 10 other countries. Austrian European Affairs Minister Claudia Bauer has described the proposed period as a “year of simplification,” according to reporting by Politico.

The countries want the EU to review existing laws sector by sector, asking whether each rule is still needed, should be updated or places a burden on businesses without adding value. They also want the impact of proposed rules assessed before those rules are adopted.

The signatories call for a “European Implementation and Consolidation Year” devoted mainly to putting existing laws into practice, removing duplicate reporting requirements and making necessary changes. Austria is also pushing for a 12-month pause in adopting new EU rules while that work takes place.

The proposal is a request from member states, not an EU decision. It does not suspend legislation already in force, and the countries have not identified a start date for the proposed year.

In the document obtained by Euronews, the 13 countries argue that EU legislation should be introduced only when action at the European level is necessary and adds value. They call for major new reporting or compliance obligations to be preceded by a review of requirements already in place in the same field.

The group says its approach should maintain existing protections for health, safety and workers. It also proposes reviewing new regulations at least every five years to see whether they have achieved their aims.

The European Commission has already been working on packages to simplify existing rules, often called “omnibus” proposals. Bauer said she supports that work but wants the EU to avoid creating complicated requirements that must later be rewritten.

“You cannot continue to put forward new proposals when existing rules have not been fully implemented,” she told Politico.

For Czech companies, the practical outcome will depend on whether EU institutions take up the proposal and which laws they choose to revisit. For now, the joint document gives Czechia a place in a wider campaign to change how Brussels writes and reviews regulation; it does not remove any current obligations.