Chambers of Commerce from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland Address Governments and the European Commission on Regional and European Competitiveness

The Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Lithuanian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, and the Finland Chamber of Commerce jointly addressed the governments of the four countries as well as European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for the Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, to present concrete steps to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU business environment.

This joint appeal was initiated by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Its Director General, Mait Palts, remarked that various estimates suggest up to 80% of the administrative burden stems from EU legislation and policies.

"It’s encouraging to see that in Estonia we are actively fighting bureaucracy, but our shared ambition should be to also address the root causes. Therefore, it is crucial to take decisive steps at the EU level to avoid overregulation. As countries in this region, we have always been efficient and pragmatic. If we join forces, it’s only fitting to lead efforts in reducing bureaucracy, enhancing our regional competitiveness, and improving the EU’s position in global markets,” said Palts. He added that the EU is primarily an economic union, and its core focus must be on improving European competitiveness, which requires a collective effort to reduce bureaucracy.

Proposals Submitted to National Governments and the European Commission

The chambers submitted the following proposals to national governments and Commissioner Dombrovskis:

• Reduce administrative burden by at least one-third.
• Ensure proportional and efficient regulation.
• Principle of minimum regulation:
  EU law harmonization should align with the standards of the least regulated Member State. Member States should implement EU law with only the minimum required provisions.
• "One-In, Two-Out" principle:
  For every new regulatory obligation introduced at national or EU level, two existing obligations should be eliminated.
• Three-Member-State rule:
  New legislative proposals should be initiated only when at least three Member States jointly submit a justified request.
• Cut public sector spending by reducing the number of officials involved in legislation, supervision, and administration by at least 20%, including within the European Commission and its bodies.
• EU budget priorities:
  A recommendation was made to prioritize entrepreneurship and defense development in the allocation of EU budget resources.