The European Commission has published its 2026 Annual Overview Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement, covering the period from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026, with new figures on efforts to cut administrative burdens and step up action against some 2,000 breaches of EU law.
The report sets out work across three areas: simplifying EU legislation, supporting consistent implementation of EU rules, and strengthening enforcement when cooperation with member states fails, the Commission informed in a statement on Wednesday.
It said several “omnibus” simplification packages are already in force, including Omnibus I on sustainability reporting and due diligence, Omnibus II on EU investment instruments, Omnibus III on the common agricultural policy, parts of Omnibus VII covering a digital AI component, and Omnibus X on biocidal products.
Political agreements have also been reached on Omnibus IV on small mid-caps, digitalisation and common specifications, Omnibus V on defence and Omnibus VI on chemicals.
During the reporting period, six omnibus packages were proposed to reduce administrative burdens across areas including digital, environmental legislation, automotive, food and feed safety, taxation and energy products.
Taken together with other simplification initiatives, these proposals are expected to generate an estimated €13 billion a year in administrative cost savings for small and medium-sized enterprises, larger companies and public administrations.
Gold-plating, enforcement and infringement cases
The Commission said it is developing a “Pact against gold-plating” — a term used for adding extra national requirements when EU rules are put into domestic law — after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for it in her 2026 State of the Union address.
The proposed pact would focus on reducing existing gold-plating and preventing future gold-plating, with the Commission working on a toolkit of best practices and practical guidance for member states, it said.
The Commission also reported a rise in enforcement action, saying it is now pursuing close to 2,000 cases concerning alleged breaches of EU law by member states.
A total of 874 infringement procedures were launched during the reporting period, while 499 cases were closed after member states took action to address the issues raised.
The Commission also reported increased use of “pre-infringement dialogues” — talks intended to resolve disputes before formal legal action — saying 332 were initiated over the period and that they had a 74% resolution rate.
