European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has argued that excessive bureaucracy is weighing on growth, citing complaints from some companies that compliance burdens rival their spending on research and development. EU officials say leaders will discuss cutting red tape, including overlapping national rules that duplicate EU regulations, while acknowledging diverging priorities among the bloc’s 27 member states. Senior EU officials cautioned that the gathering is unlikely to produce a major breakthrough, framing it instead as a step toward defining where work can begin in Brussels.
