Ahead of the European Commission’s adoption of the 2026 Work Programme, Insurance Europe supports making simplification a central element of the EU’s competitiveness agenda. While recent steps to address regulatory complexity are welcome, the next phase must ensure regulation becomes a strategic enabler of the EU’s competitiveness and sovereignty.
Over the past decade, the regulatory framework facing insurers has expanded significantly. Around 12 major EU legislative files in 2012 have grown to almost 70 today, many of them highly technical, overlapping or inconsistently aligned across institutions. This complexity carries a cost, diverting resources and affecting the ability of insurers to innovate.
The EU has entered its simplification moment. The Omnibus review packages and the decision to delay over 100 Level 2 acts signal clear recognition that Europe must better balance regulatory ambition with practical business reality. These efforts to streamline rules and reduce administrative burdens show that high standards and efficiency can go hand in hand. They must now be matched by smart regulation from the outset, ensuring new or ongoing legislation is coherent, proportionate and remains aligned with the EU’s strategic priorities.
Simplification cannot remain a one-off corrective exercise. It must evolve into a guiding principle applied throughout the legislative process – from design to implementation. Legislation should not introduce additional layers of complexity without clear economic or social value, or real-world demand.
Insurance is one of Europe’s strongest homegrown sectors and a strategic asset for Europe’s global competitiveness and autonomy. With 18 globally active insurance groups headquartered in the EU, the sector invests €9.5 trillion, over 70% of which remains in Europe to finance infrastructure, innovation projects and the green and digital transitions. Capital raised in Europe stays in Europe.
We strongly support the Commission’s priorities of competitiveness, sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Achieving these objectives, however, depends on regulatory frameworks that act as levers, not barriers. Europe cannot afford regulatory models that duplicate, conflict or risk weakening its own strategic capabilities as we face global pressures and economic realities.
Commenting on the upcoming programme, Insurance Europe Director General Thea Utoft Høj Jensen said: “At this pivotal moment for Europe, we look to the 2026 Commission Work Programme to reflect EU strategic priorities through smart regulation and simplification – avoiding unnecessary complexity and cost, ensuring added value, and responding to real consumer demand. Europe’s leading industries must be empowered to thrive."
The 2026 Work Programme will be an opportunity to demonstrate a shift from recognising the problem to implementing solutions. Embedding simplification as part of Europe’s competitiveness strategy – rather than treating it as an afterthought – will be essential to reinforcing Europe’s economic strength.
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