1. Regulatory simplification- How is DG GROW currently advancing regulatory simplification to reduce administrative burdens for SMEs, and which areas of intervention are emerging as the most critical for the next policy cycle?
As announced by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in the beginning of the current Commission’s mandate, regulatory simplification comes at the centre of the political agenda with a clear target for the end of 2029: reduce administrative burdens by 25% for all businesses and by 35% for SMEs specifically. Reducing unjustified or disproportionate administrative burden emanating from EU rules
is a first step to boost European competitiveness. Over 60% of EU companies see regulation as an obstacle to investment, with 55% of SMEs flagging regulatory obstacles and administrative burdens as their greatest challenge.
We have a simplification toolbox at our disposal. A key instrument is the so called ‘omnibus approach’, which allows the Commission to introduce simplified rules in several pieces of EU legislation at once, rather than adding new layers of revised or new legislation one by one.
Under the political leadership of Executive Vice-President Executive Vice-President Stephane Séjourné, DG GROW prepared 4 omnibus simplification proposals out of the total of 10 omnibus proposal the European Commission presented in 2025. Last February, we presented ‘Omnibus II’ on the InvestEU programme to increase EU investment capacity, by mobilising EUR 50 billion in additional public and private investments, and to save an estimated EUR 350 million by reducing the administrative burden participating for SMEs. In May, we presented ‘Omnibus IV’ to enable small mid-cap companies to benefit from same lighter requirements as SMEs, remove inefficient paper format requests in product legislation and introduce common specifications to speed up product conformity, thereby saving EUR 380 million of administrative burden for companies. In July, ‘Omnibus VI’ proposed simpler and more transparent EU rules on chemicals and streamlined the safety assessments of chemicals across EU legislation by making data more accessible and available, thereby resulting in EUR 363 million of savings. Just before the close of year, ‘Omnibus IX’ was adopted on 16 December, with the aim to ease administrative burden for European automotive manufacturers, boosting their global competitiveness, and freeing up resources for decarbonisation. It will save up to EUR 706 million per year.
As part of our simplification toolbox, we engage with industry and business stakeholders to collect their input through new consultative instruments and existing fora. Executive Vice-President Séjourné held three “implementation dialogues” in 2025 (high-level exchanges to identify challenges and opportunities in the implementation of EU policies) with stakeholders from the chemicals, construction and banking sectors. Also at administration level, DG GROW organised several “reality checks” (direct consultations with experts and practitioners affected by EU law to assess effectiveness), for instance in preparation of Omnibus V on chemicals. Also the Industrial Forum - a European Commission expert group providing support and advice on EU industrial policy contributed through its unique inclusive governance to support Simplification and better regulation with the aim of making business easier and faster in Europe.
Looking at the next policy cycle for DG GROW, key policy initiatives which also carry simplification potential, focus on important areas of EU acquis for the functioning of the single market. For example, improving coherence and simplifying the EU public procurement framework, streamlining EU rules relating to products and ensuring a coherent and competitiveness inducive framework for circular economy (Circular Economy Act).1
2. Enterprise Europe Network - What role does the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) play today in strengthening SME competitiveness within an increasingly digital and green Single Market, and how is this role expected to evolve?
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is the largest business network worldwide for innovative SMEs looking to grow in the Single Market and beyond. It brings together around 3,000 experts from nearly 600 business support organisations across nearly 60 countries. As a flagship action of DG GROW, it plays a key role in bolstering SME competitiveness by connecting SMEs wishing to access EU and global markets and by delivering targeted services to accelerate their digital and green transition. Tailored advisory support ranges from advice on digitalisation and technology transfer to partner-finding, regulatory guidance and access to finance. EEN partners have build-up expertise in helping firms to adopt AI process, setup e commerce activities, improve circular practices and implement low-carbon technologies. All of this is free of charge for the benefitting SME.
In the future, we will need to deliver even greater impact and outreach capacity towards European SMEs. Therefore, we need to streamline and better target our efforts. In the Commission’s proposal for the European Competitiveness Fund – the EU programme to support competitiveness under the next EU budget 2028-2034 - we proposed the “EU for Business” network as the umbrella for business support to SMEs, building on the positive experience of the EEN and other networks such as the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. The goal is to reduce fragmentation and provide more targeted and focused support.
3. Effectiveness of EU-level support tools - From DG GROW’s perspective, which EU-level tools and instruments have proven most effective in supporting SMEs’ access to markets, innovation and cross border activities?
From DG GROW’s perspective, a combination of EU-level business support networks, cluster support instruments and targeted mechanisms under the EU budget have proven to be particularly effective in supporting SMEs’ access to markets, innovation and cross-border activities. Let me mention three examples.
I already referred to the EEN as a flagship instrument to lower barriers for SMEs to enter new markets, scale innovations and participate in cross-border value chains. The results speak for themselves: between 2022 and 2025, the EEN supported over 450,000 companies, created 7,500 jobs and increased their turnover by over 20%.
European Cluster policy is another important element of EU-level support to SMEs, taking shape through the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and support for Euroclusters. The goal is to foster structured collaboration within and across industrial ecosystems. The ECCP acts as a central hub for cluster intelligence, matchmaking and policy dialogue, enabling clusters to connect SMEs to strategic partnerships, global markets and EU initiatives. The Euroclusters action provides targeted funding and advice to SMEs that are building strategic value chains across Europe and supports innovation uptake. 962 SMEs have so far developed new-to-firms products thanks to this action.
Tailored tools under the EU budget can help SMEs’ access to finance and thereby their capacity to innovate, grow and access new markets. Let me highlight as an example the InvestEU programme. InvestEU supports private and public investment in order to provide long-term funding and support to companies along four main policy areas (windows): Sustainable Infrastructure, Research, innovation and digitalisation, Social investment and skills and SMEs. The SME Window has the objectives to ease access to and availability of finance primarily for SMEs, including innovative ones and those operating in the cultural and creative sectors, as well as for small mid-cap companies. It also supports businesses with difficulties of access to finance such as start-ups, younger and smaller companies, as those are perceived as higher risk for regular commercial lenders. Until end 2025, the SME window accounts for 38% of the total amount of operations signed across all Policy Window (EUR 48.73 bn) serving more than 90,000 SMEs, of which more than 95% were small and micro enterprises.
4. Role of Chambers of Commerce - Chambers of Commerce act as key intermediaries in delivering EU services to businesses, including the EEN. How does DG GROW assess their contribution today, and what further potential does it sees for their involvement in supporting SMEs?
From DG GROW’s perspective, Chambers of Commerce play an essential intermediary role when it comes to translating EU policies and actions into practical support for businesses. Their participation in EU actions, such as the EEN, supports further Chambers in fulfilling this role for the benefit of businesses and SMEs in different EU territories. The role of Chambers is particularly strong in areas where SMEs require hands-on, practical guidance: providing regulatory, legal and compliance advisory services and helping navigate Single Market rules, product standards, sustainability requirements, public procurement and cross-border obligations. The other way around, Chambers make available to policy makers essential information about businesses trends and critical concerns on the ground. They act as trusted conveners at regional and national level. They mobilise SMEs around EU initiatives, broker events and consultations, and provide feedback to policymakers on how EU rules affect businesses in practice.
This two-way channel strengthens evidence-based policymaking and ensures that EU instruments remain aligned with real SME needs.
As EU policies increasingly focus on competitiveness, resilience and simplification, Chambers can play a stronger role in early awareness, compliance readiness and regulatory anticipation, particularly for micro and small enterprises. In the future, to ensure a coherent and inclusive support ecosystem, SME support actions at all levels should take into consideration the role of all business support organisations, including Chambers of Commerce. DG GROW aims to build on complementarities between Chambers, clusters, innovation hubs and agencies, trade promotion organisations and other key local and regional players, maximising impact through coordination and avoiding fragmentation and duplication.
Overall, for our policy work at DG GROW, Chambers of Commerce are not only seen as effective delivery partners, but as strategic actors in strengthening SME competitiveness and Single Market integration in the years ahead.
5. Long-term vision for the Single Market - Looking toward 2035, what overarching impact does DG GROW aim to achieve through simplified regulation and reinforced European business networks on the competitiveness and resilience of the Single Market?
The Single Market is more important than ever in the current volatile geopolitical environment. It is the home market for European industry and businesses and for 450 million consumers. On 21 May 2025, the Commission adopted the new Single Market Strategy which is our comprehensive plan to make the Single Market simpler, seamless and strong. The strategy sets out to reduce existing barriers holding back intra-EU trade and investments (‘the terrible ten’ barriers), to help SMEs operate and scale up their activities, and alleviate businesses by boosting digitalisation in the single market.
As a first priority, the strategy focuses on the ten most harmful Single Market barriers – the ‘Terrible Ten’. Identified based on comprehensive stakeholder consultations, these are the barriers that most hinder the free movement of goods and services and need urgent action. They include complex rules, fragmented national regulations, limited recognition of qualifications, slow standard-setting, supply chain issues (like territorial supply constraints), burdensome worker posting rules, packaging/labelling fragmentation, and outdated product rules. Their removal will enhance the simplified business establishment and operations throughout the EU, and we are engaging closely with the Member States in the context of the Single Market Enforcement Taskforce.
Future legislative initiatives will follow this logic and approach. One example is the EU public procurement rules. The current framework is fragmented with numerous sectoral acts creating uncertainty and inconsistency in interpretation and application. Simplifying these rules would greatly help over 44 000 public authorities in the EU purchasing services, works and supplies, as well as companies bidding for these tenders in the Single Market, worth around 15% of GDP (around EUR 2.5 trillion).
Last, simplifying the business environment and operations in the singles market through digitalisation and promoting the use of digital tools by default is part of our simplification agenda at DG GROW. The use of digital tools can greatly contribute to simpler and faster procedures for businesses in the single market and can improve cooperation and data exchange among public administrations in the Member States. For instance, DG GROW strongly supports horizontal tools, such as the SME ID Tool, which makes it easier for companies to prove their SME status once, and reuse it across EU programmes and regulations, reducing repetitive administrative checks.
To conclude, let me stress that simplification and implementation are two sides of the same coin. We are therefore engaging closely with Member States who are co-responsible for the implementation of EU rules in the single market. The new method for our European market focusses on reducing barriers, starting with the highlighted ‘terrible ten' and investment. It’s equally important to stress that the aim for simplification leads to lower costs for businesses and a better functioning of the Single Market, while maintaining the policy objectives on the climate, sustainability and social responsibilities. We must have simple rules that make it easy to grow and to do business in the Single Market. The principle of “1 in, 27 out” should be the guiding principle of our Single Market.