Germany, Italy, and Belgium call for an “emergency brake” on EU legislation

Germany, Italy and Belgium are calling for the introduction of a European mechanism allowing member states to suspend, for set periods, regulations adopted in Brussels if they become too burdensome for companies. The appeal was made in a joint letter addressed to António Costa, president of the European Council, a few days before the Brussels summit.

The document, obtained by POLITICO, is signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever. The three leaders are calling for the establishment of an “emergency brake” and a new priority rule for European legislation, with the aim of accelerating planning and approval procedures.

The initiative’s proponents are asking the European Commission to swiftly propose legislative simplification packages and to visibly reduce the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. They warn that bureaucracy creates high costs, harms investment and contributes to the loss of Europe’s industrial capacity.

The proposal will be discussed at the European summit scheduled for Thursday in Brussels. The meeting’s agenda includes the Union’s long-term budget, energy prices and support for Ukraine. The European Parliament has already said it does not support the current long-term budget plan proposed by Ireland.