Following the State of the Union, an Austrian-led group of member states has called for a year focused on implementing and simplifying EU law, alongside a pause in new legislation. This initiative should be treated as a symptom of deep malaise about EU policymaking. It is also a sign of the delivery gap: the distance between the action Europe needs and what it delivers. Yet, it does not go to the heart of the problem.
Policymaking goes beyond legislation. A pause risks repeating the mistake of focusing on legislative activity rather than impact. Addressing shortcomings and burdens may itself require new laws. And a twelve-month timetable does not explain what would make the system work better when legislation finally resumes. A pause alone cannot close funding gaps, build implementation capacity or secure political commitment.
This is the moment for the EU to ensure the delivery of key proposals essential to its future. Each priority needs a delivery plan: clear responsibilities, adequate resources, measurable milestones and political accountability. National and local authorities, businesses and civil society must help shape workable policies from the outset.
This demands a lasting change in how the EU works, beyond the number of initiatives adopted or the simplification of legislation. The focus must be on the impact of EU policy, rather than on hitting the pause button. The EU needs to examine its institutional machinery and what effective and ambitious policymaking requires in practice.
Alberto Horst Neidhardt is a Senior Policy Analyst and Head of the European Diversity and Migration Programme.
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