Joint Letter to Ursula von der Leyen

Joint Letter

We, the undersigned civil society and trade union organisations, urge the European Commission to uphold rules that protect health, nature, climate, and social justice, including workers’ and trade union rights. The Commission must provide guarantees against the rollback of social and environmental standards and for the regulations necessary for the socio-ecological transition at both EU and national levels. Prioritising the narrow interests of certain businesses over the public interest is neither acceptable nor sustainable as an economic strategy.

The risks of misguided simplification

The emphasis by the new team of EU Commissioners on "competitiveness through simplification” has raised concerns. While simplifying procedures can improve efficiency, there is a growing and very real risk that this agenda may translate into deregulation of essential EU social, environmental, democracy and human rights protections, which some industry actors view as "burdensome".

Food safety, public health, social protection, workers’ rights and labour regulations, animal welfare and environmental protections are not regulatory burdens — they are the very foundation of a well-functioning, resilient and fair society. The Commissioners must honour their commitments made during hearings to ensure that simplification does not equate to deregulation or undermine the policy objectives of the EU acquis. Unfortunately, we already see discrepancies between reassurances given and plans being laid out – often to a dangerous point.

For example, under a "one in, one out" rule, introducing critical new energy efficiency measures could require scrapping another regulation deemed part of the "regulatory burden". This approach is deeply flawed and risks undermining the very frameworks needed for the green and just transition. Similarly, reducing reporting requirements without considering the policy objectives they pursue risks jeopardising the effective enforcement of the EU acquis. The Commission’s plans to change EU laws related to sustainable development and social justice like the directives on corporate sustainability and due diligence were only recently adopted, yet their imminent revision is one first outcome of corporate lobbying.

Deregulation is not the answer

The challenges facing certain industries are not due to excessive regulation but rather the failure of governments and corporations to plan ahead, invest and adapt to necessary transitions. For instance, the crisis in the German car industry stems not from too many rules but from a lack of innovation and vision and a delayed shift to electric vehicles. Companies continued to prioritise the combustion engine instead of a future-proof business model and felt confident that their lobbying influence could maintain the status quo of fossil-fuel vehicle primacy, without adequately considering global climate and innovation contexts. Any deregulation now would create uncertainty, penalise first movers and those who invested significant sums to catch up with emerging leaders outside of the EU. It would open the door to unfair competition, and reward laggards — counter-productive to innovation and sustainability.

How the economy can benefit from strong regulations

Far from hindering economic growth, implementing and enforcing EU environmental laws could save the EU economy around €55 billion annually in health and environment-related costs. Well staffed and resourced permitting and regulatory agencies at national and European level are crucial for timely permit delivery and necessary enforcement. Clearly, inaction and lax enforcement also come at a cost. Recent tragedies, such as the flood disaster in Valencia, illustrate the dangers of dismantling systems designed to protect people and ecosystems. Dissolving emergency coordination units and ignoring urban planning principles have exacerbated the impacts of the climate crisis, leading to human tragedy and immense material damage. This could have been avoided if local and national regulations had been enforced. Our societies need rules, and they need governance and the capacity that these rules are applied to all equally. The enforcement of these rules thanks to labour inspectors, tax inspectors, etc. will ensure a level playing field.

Regulations for a thriving society

Lawmaking should aim to maximise benefits for society, not minimise costs for businesses. It should focus on responsibility to act, responding to societal, human and wider costs of inaction and not short term costs of action.¹ Rules and regulations are the tools that help society evolve, through the exercise of democracy at all levels. Repeating the mantra that "there are too many rules" does nothing to address Europe’s most pressing challenges. On the contrary, deregulation of essential protections would deepen inequality and insecurity among Europeans, undermining citizens’ trust in public institutions and feeding into the narratives of anti-democratic movements that exploit these fears to gain electoral support.

The European Commission must lead with boldness and integrity, ensuring that EU regulations prioritise public welfare over corporate interests. Europe’s ability to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution crisis, and foster social justice and progress depends on it.

To ensure a fair and sustainable future for Europe, we call on the European Commission to:

• Maintain, complement, strengthen and implement rules that enable a deep, socially just, and ecological transformation of our societies.
• Provide strong guarantees that "simplification" will not obstruct or delay the regulations necessary for the socio-ecological transition at both EU and national levels.
• Prevent any rollback of social, environmental, and human rights standards.
• Ensure that enforcement of existing laws and new EU regulations: Hold companies accountable for their social and environmental impacts.
• Foster social dialogue, active citizen participation and strengthen democratic governance.

Initiated by

Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe)

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

European Public Service Union (EPSU)

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)

Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE)

Supported by 265 other organisations.