Three EU countries call for a mechanism to suspend European Commission decisions

The leaders of Germany, Italy and Belgium sent a letter to the head of the European Council, António Costa, with a proposal to create a “stop crane mechanism” in the EU. It will allow the suspension of European norms and decisions of the European Commission, if they interfere with competition and the development of industry.

According to the publication Politico, familiar with the document, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister George Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said that the European Union needs such a mechanism to increase competitiveness.

The EU needs a “stop crane mechanism” to improve the EU’s competitiveness. European capitals must be able to suspend new regulations from Brussels if they prove too cumbersome for national governments and businesses, the leaders said.

They also called for reducing the administrative burden on small and medium-sized businesses in the EU as soon as possible.

The letter was sent ahead of the EU summit on 15-16 October. It will discuss the reduction of budget requests of the European Commission for 2028-2034, the energy crisis, future EU enlargement and arms supplies to Ukraine.

Politico notes that in practice, it is extremely unlikely to approve such a mechanism. The European Commission is using all its resources to block the initiative. Most likely, the letter will become a tool of pressure on the European Commission during a heated discussion about the size of the seven-year budget of the EU for 2028-2034.

The European Commission has proposed a €1.76 trillion plan. It assumes a significant increase in military spending with a decrease in funding for agriculture and support for depressed regions. EU countries are pushing for budget cuts of €141 billion.

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