Hot Off The Press – The EU Work Programme 2025!

This blog was originally posted on 12th February, 2025. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

AUTHORED BY MICHELLE WALSH, SENIOR LEGAL TEAM LEADER, COMPLIANCE & RISKS

EU Work Programme 2025

The EU Commission has unveiled its ambitious 2025 Work Programme, setting out 51 new policy initiatives for the next year.

This roadmap promises that the EU will become a bolder, simpler and faster Union by streamlining legislation to allow EU laws work better and faster to improve competitiveness.

Simplification of legislation is at the heart of this programme with 11 of the 18 legislative initiatives focusing on this as its core objective.

The intention is to reduce administrative burden for companies by at least 25% and by 35% for small and medium-sized companies.

Some Key Priorities and Timelines

Omnibus Packages to Tackle Priority Sectors:

• First Omnibus package on sustainability including sustainability reporting and due diligence (Q1 2025)
• Second Omnibus package on investment simplification (Q1 2025)
• Third Omnibus package on small mid-caps and removal of inefficient paper requirements in product legislation (Q2 2025)

Sustainable Finance:

• Revision of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (Q4 2025)

Digital Economy and Innovation:

• Digital Package to provide for consistency in data protection and cybersecurity rules (Q4 2025)
• European Business Wallet to simplify and facilitate secure business-to-business and business-to-government exchanges (Q4 2025)
• Digital Networks Act (Q4 2025) to provide border network operation and service provision, enhance industry competitiveness and improve spectrum coordination

Chemicals:

• Revision of EU REACH Regulation (Q4 2025) – A new Chemical Industry Package will include a revision to the EU REACH Regulation. The purpose of this will be to provide a simpler regime for the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals and provide clarity on “forever chemicals”

Decarbonization:

• Clean Industrial Deal (Q1 2025) will improve access to affordable energy, help boost the supply of circular materials, products and services, and make key industries in Europe more circular and sustainable
• European Climate Law amendment to include a proposed 90% emission reduction target for 2040. (Q1, 2025)
• Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act (Q4 2025) to support energy intensive industries

Artificial Intelligence:

• AI Continent Action Plan covering AI Factories in Europe as well as the Apply AI strategy (Q1, 2025)

Consumer Protection:

• New 2025-2030 Consumer Agenda (Q4 2025) to include an action plan for consumers in the Single Market. This work will follow-on from the protection measures achieved in the recent Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.

Evaluations and Fitness Checks:

Evaluations and Fitness Checks to look at simplification of various existing laws:

• Evaluation of EU rules on medical devices and in vitro diagnostics: Q4 2025
• Evaluation of the Pressure Equipment Directive and the Simple Pressure Vessels Directive: Q4 2025

One thing is clear from this ambitious plan is that 2025 is heating up to be a very interesting year!

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