The European Commission has announced a major simplification package aimed at reducing administrative burdens across key environmental regulations, including waste, extended producer responsibility (EPR), batteries, industrial emissions and permitting. Expected to save industry and public authorities up to €775 million annually, the proposals form part of the EU’s broader competitiveness agenda and reflect calls from industry stakeholders to make environmental compliance more streamlined and cost-effective.
The proposals introduce greater flexibility for companies to manage EPR obligations across EU Member States. Currently, producers must appoint authorised representatives in each Member State — a requirement that imposes significant costs on SMEs operating cross-border. Under the new framework, EU-based producers will no longer be obliged to do so, potentially saving businesses €300 million annually.
In addition, the reporting frequency for EPR schemes will be harmonised to once per year. This change will simplify compliance for companies dealing with multiple waste categories or selling into multiple markets, particularly under newer regulations such as the Batteries Regulation and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
For operators of large industrial installations and intensive livestock farms, the simplification package proposes significant changes to Environmental Management Systems (EMS) under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). The key amendments include:
These changes are forecast to yield €100 million in annual savings, including one-off reductions of €35 million.
The package proposes exempting livestock and aquaculture operators from reporting detailed data on energy, water and material use to the Industrial Emissions Portal, provided Member States already collect this data. This measure alone is expected to reduce costs by €70 million annually.
Operators of backup generators, such as those used in data centres, will benefit from relaxed emissions monitoring intervals — from every 500 hours to 1,500 hours or five years — potentially saving €3 million per year.
In a move to accelerate green and strategic infrastructure projects, the Commission is proposing legally binding maximum timeframes for environmental assessments. Measures include:
These changes could cut EIA-related costs by 15%, equating to €180 million in annual savings for project developers.
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