Several EU countries are backing the Commission’s strategy, even asking for further efforts, with Germany, Italy, and the Nordic countries throwing<\/a> their weight behind that “simplification” agenda.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez has spoken out against the European deregulation push being led by Germany and Italy and embraced by the European Commission.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome will say that to compete, you must deregulate. Those who say that are often the very same people who left the world into the financial crisis with that same regime,\u201d S\u00e1nchez told an event organised on Tuesday by his Socialist political colleagues at the European Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about having more or fewer laws or rules. This is about having good rules and good laws,\u201d he said via videocall.<\/p>\n
The Spanish prime minister\u2019s intervention was the most awaited and the most loudly applauded by the Socialist MEPs and staff gathered at the Dialogue on a Progressive European Future, a reflection on the Socialists’ political priorities that also featured contributions from Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera, President of the European Committee of the Regions Kata T\u00fctt\u0151 and US Senator Bernie Sanders.<\/p>\n
His remarks put him at odds with the current attempt to boost competitiveness by streamlining and simplifying EU laws.<\/p>\n
In the last two years, the Commission has put forward a simplification and competitiveness agenda composed of ten \u201comnibus\u201d packages. The aim is to simplify EU legislation in different sectors to lighten the economic burden on companies.<\/p>\n
According to the Commission, this deregulation push has already produced<\/a> a \u20ac15 billion administrative cost reduction for businesses across Europe, with a goal of \u20ac37.5 billion by 2029. Critics say this has often come at the expense of environmental and social standards, particularly in the case of a package<\/a> to ease corporate sustainability reporting approved in 2025.<\/p>\n Several EU countries are backing the Commission’s strategy, even asking for further efforts, with Germany, Italy, and the Nordic countries throwing<\/a> their weight behind that “simplification” agenda.<\/p>\n
![\"Pedro](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/330a1ef7ddcfe9513501af3729ffe162.jpeg\"\/)
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