On 11 February 2025, the European Commission adopted its work programme for the year 2025. It builds on the commitments in the Political Guidelines and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's mission letters. Under the theme “Moving forward together: A Bolder, Simpler, Faster Union”, the programme exhibits a strong focus on simplification. This priority reflects the need for more opportunities, innovation, and growth for EU citizens and businesses. Administrative burdens are to be reduced by at least 25%, and by at least 35% for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The key areas of the work programme are:

• A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness;
• A new era for European Defence and Security;
• Supporting people, strengthening societies and the European social model;
• Sustaining the quality of life in Europe: food security, water, and nature;
• Protecting democracy, upholding the EU's values;
• Global Europe: Leveraging power and partnerships;
• Delivering together and preparing the Union for the future.

Omnibus packages and proposals will simplify EU policies and legislation in all these areas, making them work better and faster. The first series of omnibus packages will be on sustainability and investment simplification. A further omnibus package is to follow, addressing small and medium-sized enterprises and the removal of paperwork requirements, a digital package, and a simplification package for the Common Agricultural Policy. Other examples of key initiatives with a significant simplification dimension include the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act and review of the Securitisation Framework.

In the area of security, the Commission highlights the Preparedness Union Strategy, which will deal with the enhancement of Europe's capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats. In addition, a comprehensive set of actions enabling the anticipation of threats and strengthening the EU’s resilience and capabilities to prevent and respond to new and existing crimes and threats will be outlined in the new Internal Security Strategy. The Firearms Trafficking Directive will provide common criminal law standards on illicit firearms trafficking. Initiatives are planned for the prevention of cybersecurity incidents and a better protection of Europe's undersea infrastructure, notably telecommunications cables, which have increasingly been subject to hybrid threats. The regulation on combating the sexual abuse of children and the anti-smuggling directive are to be finalised.

In total, the 2025 work programme includes 51 new policy initiatives, 37 evaluations and fitness checks, and 123 finalised proposals from previous years. However, 37 proposals will not be pursued, and four Regulations will be repealed. Among the legislative initiatives to be withdrawn are the proposals for a new Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications and for a Directive on adapting non-contractual civil liability rules to artificial intelligence.