The Danish Employers’ Confederation (DA) is advocating for a significant reduction in EU regulations that it believes are hindering the competitiveness of Danish companies. The organization has put forth a series of recommendations aimed at simplifying the operational environment for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

A key proposal is to exempt SMEs from certain aspects of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which the DA argues imposes excessive documentation and information requirements. While GDPR was established to safeguard citizens’ privacy and data control, the Confederation believes it has resulted in undue administrative burdens for companies.

Jacob Holbraad, CEO of the Danish Employers’ Confederation, contends that an excess of regulations undermines competitiveness and burdens companies with unnecessary complexities. He emphasizes that the impact is especially pronounced in areas of work environment and employment law, where EU regulation accounts for a substantial portion of administrative costs in the labor market.

The DA further proposes the abolishment of mandatory working hour registration for employees. In addition, the organization suggests that smaller companies should be exempt from the requirement to implement whistleblower schemes, and that pay transparency requirements should be lifted for particularly small companies.

According to the Danish Employers’ Confederation, the cumulative effect of new EU rules introduced between 2015 and 2024 has increased companies’ annual administrative costs by DKK 13 billion. The Confederation stresses that companies are increasingly diverting resources to documentation rather than focusing on development and growth.

The Danish Employers’ Confederation serves as an umbrella organization for 11 different employers’ associations within the private labor market in Denmark, collectively representing approximately 23,000 companies. The organization believes that reducing regulatory burdens is essential for fostering a more competitive and efficient business environment.