More than 60% of European companies consider the regulatory burden to be the main obstacle to investment.

Omissions

• The MEP did not cite any source for the claim, making independent verification reliant on identifying the underlying survey.
• The claim elevates the finding from 'an obstacle'/'a major obstacle' (one among several) to 'the main obstacle' (the primary one), which is not supported by the source.
• The source — BusinessEurope — is a business lobby organization with an institutional interest in promoting deregulation; its Reform Barometer is a member survey, not an independent statistical product like Eurostat or the EIB Investment Survey.
• The EIB Investment Survey 2025, a more neutral primary source, reports different metrics on regulatory burden (e.g., 36% of EU firms viewing transition to stricter climate standards as a risk), but does not directly ask the same question, making cross-validation difficult.
• No time period was specified in the claim; the most recent supporting data available before the session date is from the BusinessEurope Reform Barometer published in March 2025.

Sources

• PrimaryBusinessEurope — Reducing regulatory burden to restore the EU's competitive edgeRegulation is seen by more than 60% of EU companies as an obstacle to investment, with 55% of SMEs flagging regulatory obstacles and the complexity of administrative procedures as a key barrier.
• PrimaryBusinessEurope — Reform Barometer 2025 (PDF)BusinessEurope members report that regulation is seen by more than 60% of EU companies as an obstacle to investment, with 55% of SMEs flagging regulatory obstacles.
• SecondaryEuropean Enterprise and Competition Institute (EECI) — European businesses call for action on regulatory burdenAccording to the report, more than 60% of EU-based companies view regulation as a major obstacle to investment. Among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), 55% identify regulatory obstacles as a key concern.