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Denmark Seeks to Overhaul EU Rule-Making to Reduce Costs for Businesses

Denmark is spearheading an effort to change how the EU creates regulations, aiming to reduce the financial burden on businesses. Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Minister Morten Bødskov is advocating for a new method to assess the economic impact of EU rules, spurred by concerns over rising costs for Danish companies.

The Danish government, along with Poland and Cyprus, has prepared a document outlining proposals to make the EU’s regulatory process more business-friendly. The core suggestion is for the European Commission to conduct national-level cost analyses for EU legislation, moving away from solely assessing costs at the EU level. This initiative stems from the Draghi Report, which highlighted the need to enhance the EU’s competitiveness.

Danish companies faced additional burdens of 9.9 billion kroner in 2024 due to new EU rules, with sustainability reporting being a major contributor. The existing EU data legislation (GDPR) already costs Danish companies between 5 and 11 billion kroner annually.

The plan also involves giving the European Council on Competitiveness (COMPET) more time to evaluate new EU legislation and updating business economic calculations throughout the legislative process. The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) supports the initiative but emphasizes the need for concrete action rather than just intentions.

However, there are criticisms regarding the scope of Denmark’s approach. While Bødskov advocates for simplification, he opposes deregulation, leading to concerns that the government might not be ambitious enough in reducing burdens. Henrik Dahl, a member of the European Parliament, questions the government’s commitment to protecting certain directives, such as the CSDDD, which are projected to significantly impact Denmark’s GDP.

Bødskov maintains that the goal is to have responsible companies but that the path to achieving this should be simplified. He emphasizes that simplification is not the same as deregulation and that certain regulations, like those related to sustainability and human rights, are important to uphold.