As Euractiv reports, the EU Commission is currently reviewing the entire body of EU legislation in order to identify and reduce unnecessary bureaucratic reporting obligations. This is part of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's target to reduce bureaucracy by 25%, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where the target has been set at a minimum of 35%. Affected are "all versions of the Official Journal since [...] the 1960s" that contain the word "report" or "reporting".
Outi Slotboom, Director of Strategy and Economic Analysis at the Directorate-General for the Internal Market, confirmed at a BusinessEurope conference in Berlin that preparations for the review of reporting obligations have already begun. With the help of artificial intelligence, the entire body of law is being scoured to identify reporting obligations. However, Slotboom noted that some of the most important regulatory hurdles are already known, including the directives on late payment, sustainability reporting (CSRD) and corporate due diligence (CSDDD). Companies criticise these regulations in particular as being burdensome.
Bureaucracy Relief Act IV in Germany
In Germany, the Bureaucracy Relief Act IV was passed by the Bundestag on 26 September 2024. This was approved by the Bundesrat on 18 October 2024, as reported by the Bundesrat, in order to free companies from unnecessary bureaucracy. This should lead to savings of 944 million euros per year. Various areas will benefit, including copyright law. The simplifications affect administrative processes, among other things, but apparently not in the areas of EPR, product compliance or sustainability.
Is your company affected by CSRD and CSDDD? Take action now. Christopher Blauth and Jens Haasler will be happy to answer your questions.
Attention: As a take-e-way/trade-e-bility customer or VERE e.V. member, you can attend the 8th VERE panel event free of charge on 19 November 2024 at the East Hotel in Hamburg and discuss the topic "Safe, sustainable and recyclable into the future" with representatives from the Federal Ministry of Economics, EAR Foundation, Packaging Register, Consumer Protection Agency, Otto, Osapiens, Hagebau, Berlin Brands Group and many others and make valuable contacts for your business. All presentations will be simultaneously translated into English. The topics of CSRD and CSDDD will also be discussed in detail:
- CSDDD, EUDR, CBAM – Challenges in supplier and data management (Alberto Zamora Pueyo, Osapiens)
- LkSG, CSDDD, CSRD, EUDR, EU Batteries Regulation, CBAM, etc. – An overview of existing and upcoming sustainability and due diligence obligations – is the SME sector out? (Dipl.-Ing. Jens Haasler, M.Sc. Christopher Blauth, trade-e-bility)
