Not Just Less Regulation - Better Regulation

The results of the questioning of 40 companies are clear: it is not the objectives of European regulation that are criticised, but its implementation. The majority of respondents feel that bureaucratic requirements are disproportionate, overly complex and difficult to implement in day-to-day business. Documentation and reporting obligations as well as complex authorisation procedures are particularly burdensome. In response to this feedback, cep is developing a comprehensive concept for reducing bureaucracy. It centres on the idea of combining concrete relief with a new regulatory approach: simpler, more comprehensible, more digital and geared towards entrepreneurial incentives.

"Companies are not demanding blanket deregulation, but better rules - understandable, proportionate and practicable," emphasises Matthias Kullas, cep economist. The so-called "Brussels effect", with which the EU sells its regulations as a global competitive advantage, often remains ineffective. The administrative costs clearly outweigh the strategic benefits. For cep, one thing is certain: smarter regulation must be an integral part of a forward-looking European location policy that is attractive worldwide.

Sustainable regulation must address entrepreneurial feasibility, open up scope for innovation in line with the regulatory objective, formulate clear principles instead of detailed specifications and create digital interfaces with the administration. This is the only way to effectively implement political goals without jeopardising the competitiveness of European companies.