Europe: EPP: Boost the economy with comprehensive cuts in bureaucracy

The European People’s Party (EPP) wants to stimulate the economy and create jobs by comprehensively reducing bureaucracy. The EPP will campaign to completely suspend the European Supply Chain Directive and the Sustainability Directive for at least two years, said Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz at the end of a meeting of top representatives of the European bourgeois-conservative party family EVP in Berlin. At their meeting, the EPP also prepared for US President Donald Trump’s inauguration this Monday.

Merz called for a coordinated reaction to Trump. “As long as the European member states are united, they will be respected in the world, including in the USA. And as long as they are divided, no one will take us seriously,” he said. Trump’s inauguration “will accelerate our efforts to join forces and act together.” Trump is very predictable. “He does what he says. He thinks what he says and he does what he says.” But that comes with challenges.

Merz on defense spending: Talk about standards first

Trump will also influence the debate about defense spending. Merz emphasized with a view to his EPP colleagues: “We agree that we all have to do a lot more together.” But before we talk about joint European initiatives and financing, we need to talk about simplifying standards in procurement and also about quantities. There is a lot of scope here to be able to buy significantly more for the money that you already have to spend. “Military procurement in Europe is too expensive, it is too complicated. It is also too diverse in terms of systems,” criticized Merz.

Merz demanded that the EU also have to do more in trade policy. What is particularly necessary is the dismantling of European bureaucracy. “We have lost over 300,000 industrial jobs in Germany in the last three years, also because of excessive national and European regulation.”

EPP wants to reduce reporting requirements by at least 50 percent

In the two years that the EU directives on supply chains and sustainability have been suspended, it must be checked which parts can be brought into force, said Merz. In addition, the guidelines would have to be radically simplified and reporting requirements reduced overall by at least 50 percent.

Numerous heads of state and government as well as several opposition leaders belonging to the EPP came to Berlin for the meeting led by Merz and the EPP chairman Manfred Weber (CSU). Weber has been EPP leader since 2022 and leads the EPP group in the European Parliament.

EPP focus areas are economy, migration and security

Weber emphasized that it is important for competitiveness that key industries such as chemistry, biotechnology and mechanical engineering are strong. A repatriation regulation is needed to stop illegal immigration. There must also be a Mediterranean pact with the neighboring states and better protection of the EU’s external borders.

With regard to the new US President, Weber said that the EPP was offering “dealmaker Trump” to take on the geopolitical challenge of China together with its economic partner Europe.

Merz on US platforms: We have rules

Merz and Weber were critical of the departure of large US platforms from the previous moderation model. There are obviously different understandings of freedom of expression. “Rules apply to us. And I cannot see why fundamentally different rules should apply in the digital age than in the analogue age,” said Merz, for example when it comes to copyright protection or personal rights.

“The principle applies that those who want to do business in Europe must adhere to European law, regardless of the market power they may otherwise have in the world,” said Merz. “We have comprehensive freedom of the press, freedom of expression, civil freedom here. But we all also say that these freedoms end where the freedoms of others are restricted.” He added: “I see no reason to back away from this just because there are powerful American companies that may see things differently, even with the backing of the new administration in Washington.”

EPP boss to USA: outstretched hand, but confident

Weber added that social platforms are about the question of how social culture will develop. Since democratic decision-making is also strongly influenced, it is about fundamental questions for the continent. His wish is that a common understanding of the rules in the digital world can be developed with the USA. “The outstretched hand is there. But it’s also clear: When I hear some tech representatives, it sounds more like Europe should adopt the guidelines from Washington. And I reject that. Europe has to act confidently.”