The European Union’s Director of Technology Industry, Jussi Mäkinen, has criticized Ursula von der Leyen for poor legislative preparation. Mäkinen believes that regulations should be prepared by the commission itself and not outsourced to consultants. He is concerned that the work of Commission officials has become increasingly political, potentially jeopardizing the internal market. In Finland, the quality of impact assessments for regulations aimed at restoring nature and reducing packaging waste has been called into question.
Mäkinen believes that the quality of legislative preparation needs to improve, and he suggests that the Regulatory Review Board should be separated from the Commission as an independent body to enhance this process. Kaisa Soro-Pesonen, head of the Brussels office of the Confederation of Business, notes that the European Parliament has also contributed to the high volume of legislative proposals. She points out that recently, there have been instances of agreed deals being reopened at the last minute of the EU legislative process, causing frustration and delays.
Mäkinen finds the Council’s new operating method concerning and suggests that this may be an indication that the EU needs to reevaluate its core activities. There is a need for better coordination and consistency in the preparation and implementation of regulations to ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market.
