Three EU Countries Call for a Mechanism to Suspend European Commission Decisions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever have proposed an “emergency brake” mechanism across the European Union. That would allow EU countries to halt European regulations and European Commission (EC) decisions that undermine competitiveness and industrial development. Politico reports the proposal, citing a letter addressed to European Council President António Costa. The three leaders argue that member states should be able to temporarily suspend new rules drawn up in Brussels if they impose an excessive burden on national governments and businesses. They also call for faster efforts to reduce the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), saying this is essential to boosting the EU’s economic competitiveness. The letter was sent to Costa ahead of the EU summit scheduled for 15-16 October. The agenda includes the European Commission’s budget plans for 2028-2034, the energy crisis, further EU enlargement and arms supplies to Ukraine.