European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plans for a sweeping administrative overhaul have moved forward following the submission of an external assessment outlining proposals to make the EU executive more efficient, flexible and responsive.
The report, prepared by a high-level group led by former European Commission Secretary-General Catherine Day, marks a new phase in a review that could lead to the institution’s most significant administrative restructuring in two decades.
The initiative aims to streamline the Commission’s bureaucracy, simplify procedures, improve cooperation between departments and make the institution a more attractive workplace.
“We need to be able to act effectively and to act quickly,” von der Leyen said during Monday’s handover of the report, stressing the need for simpler procedures, clearer structures and stronger cooperation across departments.
The external group, comprising Day and eight other experts with experience in national administrations and international organizations, presented nine interconnected recommendations intended to make the Commission more agile and better equipped to respond to future challenges.
Potential changes to powerful Commission departments
One of the report’s central proposals is to move away from a system in which departments operate largely independently and instead encourage greater cooperation across the Commission’s directorates-general, including through cross-departmental portfolios.
The proposal could have significant institutional and political implications, as a broader restructuring may change the responsibilities of departments managing billions of euros in EU funding.
Several directorates-general could face changes, including the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), which oversees cohesion policy funding representing almost one-third of EU spending.
Other departments potentially affected include DG AGRI, responsible for agriculture and rural development; DG EMPL, which oversees employment and social policy funding; DG MARE, responsible for fisheries; and DG RTD, which manages research and innovation policy.
Possible changes could involve mergers or other structural adjustments as the Commission considers how to organize and distribute EU funds more efficiently.
However, no decisions on departmental restructuring have been taken yet.
Stronger coordination and greater use of AI
The report also recommends strengthening the Commission’s Secretariat-General to serve as a central strategic body focused on coordinating priorities and delivering results.
Another proposal calls for a human-centred approach to artificial intelligence, with the aim of simplifying administrative procedures and modernizing the institution’s operations.
The recommendations follow an initial internal review involving 15 workstreams and contributions from thousands of Commission employees. A separate process conducted by Commission officials produced preliminary recommendations in July.
Budget and Public Administration Commissioner Piotr Serafin will oversee the broader review and is expected to present final recommendations to von der Leyen by the end of 2026.
Serafin said the external assessment, combined with feedback from Commission staff, provided a “mandate to go for far reaching changes.”
Day said the review had demonstrated broad support for reform across the institution.
Major decisions linked to the next EU budget
Despite the progress, a comprehensive restructuring is likely to take considerably longer.
Serafin has indicated that major structural reforms will be closely linked to negotiations over the EU’s next long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034.
Those negotiations will help determine how EU spending is organized and managed in the coming years, making them a key factor in decisions about the future responsibilities of the Commission’s departments.
For now, the external report represents another step in von der Leyen’s effort to reshape the institution. The extent of the changes will depend on the final recommendations and the decisions taken after the review and budget negotiations.
