In recent years, one of the most frequent reproaches coming from the European agri-food industry has been that the regulatory process has become increasingly complex: parallel procedures, multiple reports, long approval deadlines, and legislative overlaps consume time and resources, without always bringing an added layer of protection for the consumer. Food & Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus, published in December 2025, the European Commission is trying to respond to this challenge; the objective is not relaxing food safety standards, but eliminating the bureaucracy that unnecessarily slows down innovation and the activity of operators in the sector.
Less bureaucracy, the same responsibility
One of the important messages of the package is that administrative simplification should not be confused with deregulation. Many of the proposed changes do not change the requirements regarding the safety of food or feed, but the way they are administered. For example, the Commission proposes to unify some notification procedures, simplify reporting mechanisms regarding animal welfare, and reduce overlaps in records regarding veterinary treatments. In parallel, certain border controls could become more efficient by streamlining the management of shipments of plant products. For operators, the benefit should be either practical: less time spent on formalities and more resources for activities that actually contribute to the safety and quality of products.
Innovation must reach the market faster, but not faster than the evidence allows.
The package also aims to accelerate market access for products and technologies considered essential for the future of agriculture and the food industry. Among others, they are substances for biocontrol, additives for feed and the use of genetically modified microorganisms in fermentation processes, areas where the industry has been complaining for several years about significant delays in the authorization process. At the same time, the Commission proposes clarifying rules regarding pesticide residues and strengthening controls applied to products imported from third countries, especially when they contain substances that are not approved in the European Union. In practical terms, the relevant message to the entire industry is that the efficiency of administrative processes must not compromise the rigor of scientific evaluation.
Competitiveness starts with smarter rules
Beyond the specific measures, the Food & Feed Omnibus sends a strategic signal: in a context where the food industry must simultaneously meet the requirements regarding food safety, sustainability, animal welfare, and economic competitiveness, simplifying legislation becomes an instrument of industrial policy. It is not about reducing requirements, but about eliminating steps that generate costs without bringing any real benefit to public health or consumer protection.
What does this mean for the food industry?
For companies that already operate at high standards of compliance, a more coherent legislative framework can mean more efficient processes, faster access to innovation, and a better use of resources dedicated to compliance. At the same time, the emphasis on strengthening controls for imported products and clarifying the rules applicable to all operators sends another important message: Simplification should not create advantages for those who follow the rules less strictly, but should allow responsible companies to focus their efforts where they generate the greatest value: in the safety of food, the quality of products and consumer confidence.
Legislative proposals
- Proposal for a European Commission directive regarding the simplification of requirements in the field of food and feed safety (COM(2025) 1021 final).
- Proposal for a European Commission regulation regarding the simplification of requirements in the field of food and feed safety (COM(2025) 1030 final).
- Working document of the European Commission services in connection with the proposal for a regulation on simplifying requirements in the field of food and feed safety (COM(2025) 1030 final).
- Proposal for a European Commission regulation regarding the extension of certain data protection periods (COM(2025) 1020 final).
Other documents
- Answers to concerns regarding the Package of Simplification of the Regulations on the Safety of Food and Feed (February 2026).
- Simpler rules on the safety of food and feed, while maintaining high standards of health protection and strengthening the competitiveness of EU producers – press release (December 2025).
- Simplification of the rules regarding the safety of food and feed – questions and answers (December 2025).
Source: https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/simplification-legislation_en
