EU: Commission deregulation agenda continues with Better Regulation revision

On 28 April 2026 the European Commission published its Communication on a Simpler, Clearer and Better Enforced EU Rulebook, including changes to the Better Regulation framework- that governs impact assessments, consultations and evaluations- essentially the rulebook on how the EU makes rules.

Civil society has raised concerns that the proposed revisions water down democratic and participatory evidenced- based policy-making. The communication introduces broad and unclear exemptions based on “urgency”, which can be used to justify bypassing impact assessments and public consultations.

The announcement comes at a time when the Commission is pursuing its deregulation agenda framed around the need to boost industry’s “competitiveness” and the “simplification” of an overly complex and bureaucratic European regulatory framework. In 2025, the Commission launched ten “Omnibus” packages on issues ranging from corporate sustainability and digital rights to food safety. These major proposals have been developed without standard impact assessments and with limited consultation of civil society. On the contrary, they have been shaped via closed door dialogues and consultations with targeted industry actors.

A report by Corporate Europe Observatory found that all 13 European Commissioners who introduced Omnibus proposals met overwhelmingly with business groups, with seven Commissioners only meeting with civil society groups less than 7% of the time. The legislative process has also been fast tracked using the “urgent procedure” which leaves no room for a democratic debate in the European Parliament.