Simplification is key, but EuroCommerce warns against rushed consultations

EuroCommerce expressed support for the Communication on implementation and simplification that outlines the EU’s plans for a simpler and faster Europe. This aims to simplify legislation and reduce administrative burden. However, the retail and wholesale sector is concerned that a lack of adequate consultation time and clarity could undermine these ambitious goals. It also warns that the continued pursuit of a Regulation combatting late payments contradicts the goal of simplification.

Christel Delberghe, Director General of EuroCommerce, commended the Commission for reflecting on its suggestions from their better regulation checklist in the Communication. “It’s encouraging that the Commission intends to listen more. It must now move beyond rhetoric. We need to see a genuine commitment to engage, with sufficient time for us to respond meaningfully to consultations and explain the impact on our business models,” Delberghe said.

The Commission’s roadmap aims to reduce reporting and administrative burden by 25%, with an even more ambitious target of 35% for SMEs. Retailers and wholesalers acknowledge that simplifying regulations and improving due diligence procedures are important steps forward. However, they argue that many past consultations have been rushed, omitted impact or lacked the clarity necessary for businesses to provide informed feedback.

In many cases, the timeline has been too tight, limiting opportunities for engagement and leaving businesses struggling to understand the full implications of proposed changes. In other cases, the pace meant there was limited analysis of implications for different business models, making legislation costs much more than anticipated and risked causing actual harm. EuroCommerce highlighted how this undermines the ability of businesses to invest and remain competitive and how, in many cases, rules are unworkable when translated from paper into practice.

The Commission Work Programme 2025 does not withdraw the Commission proposal for a Regulation to combat late payments. EuroCommerce regrets the Commission’s decision to pursue flexibility within the confines of the existing proposal. “How can businesses improve their competitiveness when agreeing a time to make a payment needs a complicated rule book that is out of touch with their business needs?” questioned Ms Delberghe. “A one-size-fits-all payment term is not suitable for businesses that need to negotiate terms suited to their circumstances.”

The European Commission’s 2025 work programme contains an intense agenda that needs to be coherent and clearly focus on competitiveness — especially for sectors such as retail and wholesale. “To achieve simplification we need good quality legislation borne from robust consultations and meaningful engagement” Delberghe added.