EU: European Commission presents proposals for “Better Regulation”

The First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans presented, on Tuesday 19 May, his programme for “Better Regulation”. By increasing the number of impact assessments of legislative plans, the Commission is clearly trying to calm euro sceptics. The Commission is also looking to win favour from civil society by improving transparency and consultations for when texts are being drawn up. Despite this, NGOs and trade unions are very sceptical and see this initiative not as a way of improving regulation, but as an increase in bureaucracy to the detriment of politics.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

Reviewing the process of drawing up and adopting legislation. Frans Timmermans, the First Vice-President of the Commission, repeated that the body must be big on the “big things” and more modest when it comes to the “little things”, as he presented his plan to improve European legislation. The European executive, after reducing the number of legislative proposals for 2015 (23 compared to an average of 80 per year), is looking into its working methods.

Currently, seven out of every ten citizens f

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
France: Medef publishes guide to support career transitions and retraining
France's largest employer federation Medef has provided its regional representatives with a practical guide designed to support career transitions and retraining. Structured around three key tools...
6 February 2026
EU: Commission wants to facilitate entry of international ‘talent’
In a recommendation published on 29 January, the European Commission calls on member states to take a series of measures to attract and retain international talent. It targets holders of skilled...
France: social partners’ conference on work, employment, and retirement sets out roadmap
Until the summer, French social partners from both the private and public sectors will hold talks on labour, employment and pensions, with the aim of developing shared positions to inform public...
ENI incorporates just transition and AI into global agreement
On 13 January, Italian energy group ENI renewed its global agreement on international industrial relations, corporate social responsibility and the just transition with Italian unions CGIL, CISL...
5 February 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026
2
EU: European Parliament calls for a directive on just transition
On 20 January, MEPs approved, with 420 votes in favour, an own-initiative report calling for a just transition directive. The text calls for the protection of workers to be guaranteed in the...
20 January 2026