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European Commission publishes annual work programme - What's in store for 2022?

25 October 2021

Every year, the European Commission adopts a work programme which sets out the legislative proposals that will be published in the following year. On 19 October 2021, the European Commission adopted its Work Programme for 2022, providing a detailed outline of the legislative initiatives we can expect to see over the course of the coming year. During her annual State of the Union speech in September 2021, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already provided an insight into what we should expect. Among other things, she listed a new European Chips Act, as well as an amendment to the Blocking Statute Regulation and an update to certain competition policy instruments. These have now been set out in the Work Programme, along with information about the expected timing of the Commission’s proposals throughout 2022.

In line with the priorities of the current Commission, the initiatives put forward revolve around six themes: the environment, technology, business and employment, foreign policy, education and lifestyle, and democracy and freedom. In this briefing, we take a closer look at the European Union’s legislative and policy agenda for 2022 and set out some of the key initiatives to present a forward-looking view.

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