On 21 October, the European Commission published its Work Programme for 2026, detailing its roadmap for next year. In it, the executive cements and fleshes out its objectives of simplification and competitiveness, with measures ranging from Omnibuses to revisions of longstanding laws. The Annex brings forth 38 new initiatives for next year, the evaluation of 20 files, and highlights 111 pending proposals.
The Programme, titled “Europe’s Independence Moment” presents several files of high interest for the e-commerce sector and confirms some rumours that had been floating around the streets of Brussels’ European quarter lately.
A year full of “simpler” proposals
Throughout the whole Programme, the executive calls for unity and collective strength for a more competitive Europe that can maintain its high standards. The Programme puts a strong Single Market as a priority, by making it tap into both the green and digital transitions, fostering a circular economy and a digitalised market. For it, the Commission reiterates the message they have been communicating throughout this mandate: simplification is key for a more competitive and attractive EU. The promise of cuts between 25% and 35% on administrative burdens for SMEs, while keeping the bloc’s high standards, is reiterated as a goal to be achieved.
For the simplification efforts, the Commission intends to base rules on evidence, and only legislate when necessary, to avoid clogging the market with bureaucracy. The executive states that several omnibus packages, including on taxation and environment, as well as modernisation on data legislation and data protection, will help lift the administrative weight laying on companies’ backs. The Commission also showed their intention to withdraw proposals that no longer align with the Union’s priorities or lack progress in the institutions. Along with the Work Programme, the Commission presented their first annual Overview Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement.
Key files for e-commerce
Among the 38 announced new initiatives, five are particularly relevant to the e-commerce sector. The first to be introduced will be the Omnibus on Taxation, planned for Q2 2026. Then, in the third quarter of 2026, the Commission expects to present the EU Delivery Act, the Circular Economy Act, and the European Product Act. Lastly, the year will end with the Digital Fairness Act, due in Q4 2026.
Rumours on the European Product Act had been present in Brussels for weeks, and the Commission’s document confirms them. The European Product Act will update the NLF, MSR and Standardisation Regulation. According to Annex II, the evaluation for the MSR will indicatively be adopted at the end of 2026, in Q4. Thus, the evaluation of the MSR will come after the presentation of the European Product Act, whose scope and format of the act is not known at this stage.
Alongside new initiatives, the Working Programme also highlights other ongoing files that the Commission will continue working on. These include the Corporate Sustainability (CSRD) and Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), the BEFIT directive, and the Customs Reform. On payments, the Digital Euro, whose draft report in Parliament is due to be published this Friday, 24 October, is also present. Interestingly, the Green Claims Directive (GCD) is also cited despite the statement by a Commission spokesperson in June saying that the executive would withdraw the proposal.