It also pledges to protect freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab as part of a broader push to restore stability in the Middle East and Red Sea region. 

The Commission wants to break down barriers within the EU single market, and is considering new measures to prevent member countries from introducing obstacles to cross-border trade. It also promises to tackle so-called territorial supply constraints, which lead to price variations for consumer staples across the EU. 

Cutting red tape is another priority. Brussels plans a “Pact against gold-plating” to stop EU governments from adding unnecessary requirements when implementing European legislation. It also wants to introduce a mechanism to review and remove such burdens, while proposing new measures in the third quarter of 2027 to speed up permitting for projects of strategic importance. 

The kill list

Brussels is killing off a slew of dead-in-the-water proposals — including on allocating air traffic slots and on a Europe-wide bank deposit insurance scheme. Many have been pending for years, with one regulation to govern trade with Cyprus being laid to rest after 22 years. 

And, cleaning house, the Commission will repeal several outdated measures — such as a regulation on the special sale of intervention butter to the Soviet Union.  

The USSR collapsed in 1991. 

Reporting by Kathryn Carlson, Pieter Haeck, Milena Wälde, Marianne Gros, Zia Weise, Martina Sapio, Francesca Micheletti, Giovanna Faggionato, Eliza Gkritsi, Ellen O’Regan, Jacopo Barigazzi and Victor Jack.