In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and research fellow Anne Bucher about how to make the European Union work better. Ukraine, Bruegel’s newest state member, will soon receive more financial support but needs Europe to keep up its sanctions on Russia. How will the enlargement process shape relations between Kyiv and its neighbours? Closer to home, how should the Brussels institutions tackle simplification and deregulation? Can the European Commission do a better job with impact assessments to manage the costs and trade-offs of its policies? Does the EU need tougher enforcement against national gold-plating? As member states and the European Parliament put their stamp on, and add complexity to, new legislation, policymakers must find the political will to make the system work. Relevant research: Bucher, A. and E. Golberg (2026) ‘Better regulation in the European Union needs a fresh start,’ Policy Brief 01/2026, Bruegel. European Commission (2026) 'A Simpler, Clearer and Better Enforced EU Rulebook', Communication, 28 April 2026. Zettelmeyer, J. (2025) 'Draghi on a shoestring: the European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass', Analysis 02/2025, Bruegel.

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