- Europe
- News Desk
- Source: European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_26_2258
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday welcomed an independent report from the High-Level Reflection Group on modernising the EU executive's civil service, received from group chair Catherine Day, with the review's formal recommendations due by the end of 2026.
Key facts
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen received the external advisers' report on the Large-scale review of the Commission's organisation and operations, handed over by High-Level Reflection Group chair Catherine Day.
- More than 150 Commission colleagues contributed through 15 workstreams in the review's first phase, alongside about 2,000 ideas submitted by staff from across the institution.
- The review is being led by Commissioner Serafin, who was tasked with it in his mission letter.
- The report will inform the review's recommendations, which are due by the end of 2026.
What did von der Leyen say about the review?
Speaking at the handover, von der Leyen said the work combines three perspectives: the experience of colleagues across the Commission, benchmarking against comparable organisations, and advice from the High-Level Reflection Group, which she described as an external sounding board. She thanked Day and the group's members for what she called a remarkable piece of work drawing on their experience of reforms in other national and international public administrations.
The Commission president said the EU civil service had strong foundations to build on, citing its record through successive crises. She said colleagues helped secure vaccines, put the recovery plan into practice, organised support for Ukraine, stabilised the energy market and shielded consumers from high prices and shortages, brought assistance to communities hit by natural disasters, and responded to migration pressures and hybrid threats.
What are the three priorities?
Von der Leyen set out three priorities for the reform. The first is acting effectively and quickly, which she said means simpler procedures, clearer structures and better cooperation across departments so that staff can focus where they make the greatest difference.
The second is making every euro count. She said Europeans facing cost-of-living pressures rightly expect public money to keep delivering added value and tangible results, and that the aim is to strengthen synergies and cooperation and direct effort where it matters most.
The third is equipping staff for the future, including through artificial intelligence. She said AI offers new ways of working and improving processes, and that colleagues must be given the skills and tools to use it, while services are simplified and technology is put to better use.
How was the review carried out?
The review was requested in Commissioner Serafin's mission letter and has run in phases. In the first phase, more than 150 colleagues took part through 15 workstreams, working alongside their daily responsibilities, von der Leyen said. Thousands of colleagues from Commission services also contributed comments and around 2,000 different ideas since the process began.
The second phase opened with the external and independent report from the High-Level Reflection Group, which von der Leyen said brings an outside perspective to the modernisation and reform of the Commission.
What happens next?
The report will feed into the review's recommendations, which are due by the end of 2026. Von der Leyen said reform is a shared responsibility across the Commission, from its political leadership to colleagues at every level, and that the goal remains to deliver the best possible public service for European citizens.
Source: European Commission
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