EU: Call for evidence – Simplification of administrative burdens in environmental legislation 

 

In line with the Commission’s commitment to reducing administrative burdens for European companies and public authorities, this initiative seeks to simplify and streamline environmental administrative requirements, particularly in the areas of waste, products, and industrial emissions. The initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining the policy objectives of the relevant legislation. It will also consider challenges related to permitting processes and environmental assessments. 

The Commission President’s Political Guidelines for the 2024–2029 emphasise the importance of effective implementation and simplification. They call for making EU legislation more effective and creating a regulatory environment that enables businesses to thrive while safeguarding the objectives of EU law. This approach is also reflected in the mission letters addressed to the Commissioners. 

The Competitiveness Compass for the EU identifies the policy changes needed for the EU to respond to evolving economic realities and to develop new ways of working together to ensure the continued relevance of the Commission’s legislative proposals. A central element of this effort is the simplification of the regulatory framework and the reduction of administrative burdens without compromising policy objectives. The Compass sets a target of reducing administrative burdens by at least 25% for all companies and by at least 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also calls for faster permitting procedures in sectors undergoing the transition to a clean and digital economy. 

The Commission is currently reviewing EU environmental legislation to identify legal acts with significant potential for simplifying administrative requirements. The objective is to reduce administrative burdens while preserving the environmental goals established under existing legislation. The initiative does not aim to weaken the EU’s environmental standards or the protection of human health provided by EU environmental law. Rather, it seeks to achieve these objectives more efficiently and without imposing unnecessary costs on businesses—particularly SMEs—public administrations, or citizens. This approach will help ensure that environmental policies are implemented more quickly, easily, and cost-effectively, while still delivering the intended environmental outcomes. 

This initiative therefore brings together a set of measures designed to simplify environmental legislation, reduce administrative burdens, and streamline administrative procedures for businesses operating in the EU. 

Following stakeholder consultation, the initiative will focus on reducing administrative burdens arising from environmental legislation in areas such as the circular economy, industrial emissions, and waste management. Possible measures may include: 

• Rationalising reporting and notification obligations, for example by discontinuing the SCIP database established under the Waste Framework Directive. 

• Harmonising rules for authorised representatives responsible for extended producer responsibility (EPR) in each Member State where a producer places products subject to EPR on the market, and facilitating EPR reporting. 

• Streamlining reporting obligations, including removing duplicative reporting requirements and further promoting the digitalisation of reporting in the areas of circular economy, industrial emissions, and waste management, while preserving the underlying policy objectives. 

• Addressing permitting challenges linked to environmental assessments, drawing on recent experience, including that gained under the Net-Zero Industry Act.