European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to deploy artificial intelligence to slash the paperwork burden weighing on companies across the bloc. The announcement came during a speech where she outlined a new “Only Once” initiative that would let businesses submit data a single time, with AI handling the redistribution to relevant authorities.
The commitment arrives as Brussels faces mounting pressure to cut regulatory red tape and boost competitiveness. Business groups have long complained that overlapping reporting requirements drain resources and stifle growth. Von der Leyen’s explicit call for AI to shoulder administrative tasks represents a significant shift in tone from her previous addresses.
The underlying “only once” concept dates back to the EU Inc. proposal unveiled in March 2026. That plan seeks to build a unified corporate framework so companies can launch and run operations more smoothly across member states. Under the existing proposal, firms would use an EU-level digital portal to file information once, with the data automatically shared among government bodies.
However, the original EU Inc. text never specified artificial intelligence as the mechanism for carrying out that data transfer. Von der Leyen’s remarks mark the first time she has directly linked AI to easing the compliance load on businesses.
Specifics remain scarce. The Commission president offered no details about how the AI system would function, which companies would qualify, or when the Commission intends to roll it out.
Meanwhile, she also urged national governments to sign a pact committing them not to pile on extra requirements when translating EU directives into domestic law. That appeal underscores the persistent gap between Brussels-level simplification efforts and the gold-plating that often occurs at the national level.
Whether the “Only Once” pledge translates into concrete policy remains an open question. But the political signal has been sent: AI now sits at the center of Europe’s deregulation agenda.
